Crossed Lines
by Stokley27
Summary: This is a cross over of BAM Bianca and Maggie of All My Children and Spashley Spencer and Ashley from South of Nowhere. It's set a year in the future. You don't have to know both shows as I do a pretty good background in the first few chapters.
1. You Gotta Go Back To Go Forward

**Prologue: You Gotta Go Back To Go Forward…**

"What are you doing here?" It was as much a damnation as an accusation but most definitely not the question it was made out to be. My eyes darted furiously around the packed club glancing off bright colored beams of light, brushing over the seemingly oblivious club goers that thrashed and pulsed around us on the dance floor, going everywhere but on the very pissed off, very beautiful girl in front of me. God, she's so hot when she's pissed, her forehead gets this little furrow going and her mouth sets in a half pout half scowl that looks so damn adorable, I just want to kiss her. But I can't look at her right now, let alone kiss her, because I can feel the heat of her anger scorching me, as if the sun had just journeyed across the millions of miles of cosmos between it and I to end its trip directly next to me. The music was pounding almost as hard as my heart as I tried to find the words to explain to my very pissed off ex-girlfriend that this is exactly not what it looks like. I felt a bead of sweat break out on my forehead and start to move slowly down into my brow only to get lost in the little hairs there. This wasn't the same type of sweat I had worked up on the dance floor just moments ago but the type that betrays the seemingly calm, "I don't give a shit, I'm not phased to see you" exterior I was struggling to maintain.

I'm trying to find a way to explain this to her that will cause the least amount of damage because right now, I'm in total damage control mode but before any words can form a voice yells from beside me and as the scene plays out in front of me I feel as if I'm watching it from the sidelines, that it isn't really happening because it seems to be a really bad plot in a B grade movie.

"What's it to you, you girlfriend stealing skank?" The short brunette next to me yells, getting right into the other girl's face, whom had just pulled us apart on the dance floor seconds ago. A moment of indecision hits me. I'm not sure what to do, this had been coming for weeks now, this showdown between them. Each of them thinking it's about one thing when it's really about another. Should I let them just yell at each other and cause a scene on the middle of the Parisian club dance floor, or do I try to defuse the situation?

"Excuse me? I'm not the one that was basically having sex on the dance floor with…with…someone else's…" She stumbles over her words, her arms are gesturing towards us in an angry, frustrated manner, unable to figure out how I fit into her life now, what role I play in it at this time, what my title is. That's all the younger girl next to me needs, a brief instant of uncertainty in the taller girl glaring at us. She knows she has her on the ropes. A smirk spreads across her face. I feel a slight chill go down my spine despite the heat of the club. This can not end good, no, there is no way this is going to be even in the same universe as good.

"Someone else's what?" That damn smirk is still there as she raises an eyebrow at the older woman in front of her, showing that she isn't afraid or intimidated. "You're so fucked up, you don't know what you want. You're not good enough for either of them." She spits out, all her fury and misery dripping off her words.

I'm not sure who's side I should be on or if my role is to be the peace maker but after being caught with a very hot, younger woman grinding on me in ways that shouldn't be witnessed outside of a bedroom, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say anything without making it worse. The decision is taken out of my hands as I hear a loud smack that seems to echo over the music. I must look like one of those cartoon characters with my eyes bugging out and my jaw hanging to the floor. It's all happening to fast for me to react, it's playing out to the frantic beat the DJ has pumping over the enormous speakers.

The brunette next to me stumbles back a couple steps, the shock on her face is quickly replaced by raw fury as she throws her drink in her assailant's face, catching the tall brunette off guard, then pounces at her, grabbing two handfuls of those silky dark strands I had spent hours and hours running my fingers through once upon a time. I try to pull her off of my…my what…my almost again girlfriend? The love of my life? My ex-girlfriend? Regardless of what title she holds, she has always held my heart and I can't let her get hurt even more. I quickly realize that my pulling the smaller girl back isn't helping but only hurting the situation. She has her hands wrapped in chestnut locks and has the grip of a pitbull. I pull her back, ultimately allowing her to pull even harder on the hair she looks like she has no intention of letting go until it's no longer attached to the head it belongs to. I swear she was like one of those kung fu grip GI Joes I had as a kid.

"What the hell….Ashley?" Time stops as another girl runs up to us on the dance floor, her bright blue eyes widen at the sight in front of her, shocked at seeing her ex-girlfriend there of all places, trying to rip out another girls hair of all things. I see shock, confusion and finally anger flash across her face. Three sets of brown eyes quickly zero in on the young blonde that has just walked into the middle of all this chaos. I blame her for the current situation but in all actuality, she's the most innocent one out of all of us. Her arrival has sufficiently shocked the brunette I've been trying to pry off my ex enough to loosen her death grip. The lack of resistance sends both of us stumbling backwards, the copious amounts of alcohol we had consumed through out the night causes us to land in an ungraceful heap on the floor.

The tall brunette was rubbing her head, making sure her hair was still there, but on hearing that name she looks up her eyes meet mine. I swallow a huge gulp, my stomach is full of bats trying to get out. She keeps looking at me, a sudden realization showing in her dark brown eyes. I'm so screwed, she knows. She knows who this girl I'm with is, she knows and now I'm so royally screwed. I try to plead my case to her with my eyes but she turned away, carefully watching her blonde friend.

"Um…Surprise?" The slender girl says that landed right on top of me. I'm amazed that we don't have a bigger crowd watching us, people are still dancing, with only a few actually paying attention to the drama unfolding around us. If it hadn't been crazy before, it suddenly gets much much crazier.

"What are you doing here? And with Bianca's ex of all people?! I told you I didn't want to see you again." The blonde is now screaming at Ashley, who still hasn't gotten off me. I'm trying to push her off but she's too stunned at the anger and bile that's spewing forth from her ex-girlfriends mouth, from that look of hurt, outrage and mild contempt. She trying to press further into me, as if she wants to crawl inside me and hide from this verbal and emotional assault, as if I can do anything to save her, I'm to busy trying to save myself.

'How the hell did we get to this point?' I'm asking myself, repeatedly

_Wait._

_Stop._

_Rewind._

We need to go back a few weeks, to the beginning of the summer, to the beginning of this mess. Back to when I first met Ashley Davies.


	2. I Miss What We Had, I Need You So Badly

**June 12th, 2008 – 4:38pm Paris, France**

I was walking out of the Cambias building, just having dropped Miranda off after spending the day together. It had been a great day up until than. Up until I heard Bianca on the phone making dinner plans with Spencer, her intern, a very sweet, very good looking girl of 19 who I know has a crush on MY Bianca. I know I have no right to be bitter, Bianca and I have been broken up for over a year and it's only been the last few months that she's allowed me back into her life, as a friend of course. A not quite distant but not quite close friend, who just happens to be her daughter's other parent, who she would occasionally flirt with and on a few occasions had kissed.

When she first came back to Paris, I naively assumed it had something to do with me, but she squashed that thought faster than Ruben Studdard's music career. She did finally relent after a month to allow me to spend time with Miranda, with Miranda's nanny. I would pick Miranda up outside of the penthouse and then return her there with the nanny, never seeing Bianca. It took two more months before I was allowed to take Miranda without her nanny and actually see Bianca each time. It was a bit awkward and strange. There was a distance there that seemed wider than the Grand Canyon and I didn't know how to breech it. I was too afraid to lose what little leeway I had made in at least being able to be back in the penthouse for those few brief minutes, for being allowed to spend at least one day a week with Miranda. I think she was afraid to let down those walls. She always seemed to be looking or waiting for something. For what, I don't know, for me to bail again, or for me to try and take that leap across all the distance that was between us, or something else entirely, maybe all of the above, take your pick. We would say hello, I would tell her what plans I had with Miranda that day and then when I brought Miranda home she would say good bye. I never made it past the entryway, except for the one time I asked to use the bathroom. I found a sliver of hope in the fact that she still had a photo of the three of us sitting on the mantle of the fireplace.

It took three more months before she actually asked me how my residency was going, before she actually showed an interest in my life. I was shocked. I was dropping Miranda off after a late day, I had taken her to Cirque du Soleil. She asked me to tuck her in when we got back, Bianca was standing there. I was trying to find a graceful way out so that Bianca wouldn't seem like the bad guy, but she actually smiled and said it was a great idea. I felt my heart soar and that sliver of hope grew just a bit more.

I felt tears in my eyes as I got to bath Miranda, read her a bedtime story, tuck her in and then give her a kiss good night. If this last year and a half has taught me anything it's to appreciate the little things. Those ordinary, everyday things that we don't seem to realize how precious they are until we can no longer do them. Those moments that add up to a life together with the ones you love. Those moments I was missing out on each day Bianca and I failed to get back together.

As I was leaving, she actually stopped me and that's when she asked how things were. How I liked the hospital I was working at. I told her it was challenging but in a good way, I felt as if I was actually making a difference. She just listened to me go on for a good ten minutes, with a wistful smile on her face. For those moments it was almost as if the previous year hadn't happened. It was just me sharing something that meant a lot to me with someone who meant the world to me. For those moments I was grateful but it also had a bitter taste as that's all it was, just a taste of everything I was missing in my life.

It took another month before we actually started making small talk, lingering a little longer in the entryway when I would pick Miranda up or drop her off. I was starting to notice that she was actually looking at me, not through me or everywhere else but actually at me. She was also smiling at me a lot more, I felt that sliver of hope I held close to get me though the long nights get that much bigger. It was during that time that I realized that maybe all hope wasn't lost, that maybe we could get back to where we had been.

The first time she had invited me to dinner was for Christmas. I was surprised she wasn't going home for it, as she had when we were together. Truth be told, I was a bit peeved about that. She couldn't wait to run home while we were together but now that we weren't, she was staying in Paris for the holidays? Of course she said it was because Miranda wanted me there but I have known Bianca long enough to know when it's something she wants as well and she really wanted me to spend Christmas with her and the Munchkin. It was a hard struggle not to jump up and down, thanking whoever above while leaping into her arms screaming yes, YES!, yes of course I want to spend Christmas with my family but that last year had taught me to be cautious as well. So I played it cool, telling her I would have to check with the rotation I was on for Christmas at the hospital and get back with her. I already knew I was working during the day Christmas Eve and had all day off on Christmas until 11pm at night but I didn't want to appear to anxious, too needy.

It was the best Christmas I had ever had. I went over there for dinner on Christmas Eve and then she asked me to stay over so that I could be there in the morning, for Miranda, of course. Staying in the guest room down the hall from the room I use to share with Bianca was a little surreal to say the least. It brought me back to our first few months in Paris, before we had gotten together. That's when it hit me, like my own little Christmas present from above, this was a new start. We had come full circle. I was being given another chance. A chance to show her she could count on me, that she was the only one I loved and wanted to be with, another chance to get it right, but first I had to show her that I was okay with how things were going. I wouldn't press for anymore than she was willing to give to me, it was all on her schedule.

It was another two months of her inviting me over for dinner every now and again before she actually flirted with me. I was still taking Miranda one day a week and even sometimes two days when my schedule allowed. Every other week or so Bianca would invite me to stay for dinner after bringing Miranda home and then she would allow me to get the little girl ready for bed and tuck her in. Things were slowly getting back on track. One night after I had put Miranda to bed, Bianca actually invited me to have a glass of wine. Of course I accepted, I wouldn't want to be rude. Okay, who am I fooling, she could have asked me to stay and iron all her clothes and I would have gladly done it.

We sat there on the couch, a bottle of red open, something we had done frequently when we were still a couple. Our knees where so close if I just leaned the slightest they would have touched. I wanted to lean more than anything but I didn't want to scare her and have her back away. Just having the possibility of our knees accidentally brushing together made my heart rate increase. It was the sweetest torture.

We just talked about mundane things, neither of us bring up the fact that it was my cheating on her that had resulted in this slow, drawn out dance to we were now going though. It seemed almost too late to talk about it or maybe it was still to soon. Regardless, we settled on a safe topic, Miranda and the silly things the four year old did that made us laugh, scared to death, feel proud and all those other emotions young children put their parents through.

There was a moment while we were laughing after Bianca had told me a story about Miranda locking her Nanny out in the hall that our eyes met, brown to brown and they just held. It wasn't a look we had shared in over a year but there it was. It was a look of love, desire and want. I felt sparks fly and my insides felt like they were on fire. Before I realized it, I felt her lips on my in the most tentative of kisses. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in 14 months, two weeks, 3 days and 17 hours. I know how pathetic am I that I know the exact last time I had felt the softest lips ever against my own.

We both pulled back, wearing equal looks of shock on our faces. I told myself not to read into it, that we had just gotten caught up in how familiar and comfortable the moment had felt. I was trying to find a graceful way to end the suffocating awkward silence that was threatening to over take us both when she gave a look that sent shocks down my spine. If I hadn't been sitting I'm certain my knees wouldn't have been able to hold me up. She grabbed the glass of wine out of my hand, setting on the coffee table, then cradled my face in her hands for a moment before leaning in and kissing me like I had never been kissed before. It started off slow and tender but as I felt her tongue brush my bottom lip it suddenly turned hot and passionate but the tenderness was still there. I felt her teeth gently bite my bottom lip and couldn't contain the moan that came from deep within me. My pulse sped up hearing her moan in response. Then as suddenly as it had started it was over. I felt her hands on my shoulder, pushing me back away from her.

"I'm… I'm sorry… I shouldn't… I didn't mean…" Bianca stuttered over her words, her face was flushed, her eyes looking anywhere but at mine. I know I was looking at her with a thousands questions in my eyes but also with hope. I couldn't hide the hope that shined there. I didn't want to hide it.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I wanted to reassure her that everything was okay. That she never had to apologize for kissing me, but my mind was unable to come up with any words, I was completely blank, waiting for her words to fill me in. I needed some type of direction because I honestly didn't know what kissing me meant to Bianca, only what I wanted it to mean.

When her eyes finally did meet mine, there was so much sadness in them it almost broke my heart. "Maybe…I think you should go…" she softly said, looking down at her hands.

I wanted to stay and talk about what had just happened between us. I wanted to know what she was thinking, but she stood and walked towards the door, not leaving any interpretation as to what she wanted right than. With a sigh of defeat I walked out the door. I turned to say something, anything to make sense of it all, to keep my hope alive but at her look all I could get out was a soft, "Good night, Bianca." Before she closed the door, not harshly but firmly behind me.

The next two times I went to get Miranda, the nanny was there, Bianca was nowhere to be seen, same when I dropped her off. I knew she was avoiding me so I decided that for once I wasn't going to just stuff this down and let us both avoid it. Two weeks after the kiss I unexpectedly showed up at the Penthouse, it was something I hadn't done since she had come back to Paris. I always called, she always knew when to expect me, she always knew when to avoid me. I went over there with the flimsy excuse that Miranda had left her blankie in my car, even though I had purposely not brought it in the night before. I felt a little bad, knowing that Bianca must have had a hell of a time trying to get the little girl to go to bed the night before without her blankie, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I anxiously waited for her to answer the door, and when she did I thought I would pass out from nerves. She seemed shocked to seem me but very relieved to see the blankie in my hands. I was worried she would be a little mad at me just showing up unannounced but there wasn't any anger, just a slight look of panic in her clear brown eyes. After much stammering and circling around the situation, she finally cracked and asked me in to talk. She told me that she was sorry about the kiss, she was just feeling nostalgic and lonely. I would have believed that excuse, I would have still held onto my hope, maybe not as strong but I wouldn't have questioned it if she hadn't kissed me again a few weeks later and then yet again a week after that. After the fourth kiss, the second one for that week, I knew something was up, she couldn't be feeling THAT nostalgic and lonely around me while we were in her office waiting for her assistant to bring Miranda from the Cambias Daycare. She finally relented and asked me out to dinner later that week so we could discuss things. As in dinner not at her house, as in dinner out at one of the finest restaurants in Paris, as in dinner that could very easily be considered a date.

As in a dinner that did turn out to be a date of sorts. She told me she did still care about me but she wasn't sure what to do about her feelings. She just wanted to see how things developed but that nothing could happen if we couldn't get our friendship back first. And that's were we have been stuck for the last two months, four days and 17 hours. I didn't mind so much at first as it's more than I thought I would ever get but then Spencer came into the picture about a week ago. Bianca swears they're just friends but than why are they going out to dinner? Why did Bianca have that goofy grin on her face while she was on the phone with the blonde? Why wasn't she looking at me like that?

I had met Spencer a few days before when I came to have lunch with Bianca and Miranda who goes to the daycare center at Cambias when Bianca works. I walked into her office and heard her laughter before I saw her. It was her cute, flirty laugh which put my defenses on high alert. I stood in the doorway for a couple minutes before Bianca even realized I was there.

"_Oh, Maggie, is it that time already? Bianca looked at her watch while standing up from the edge of her desk._

"_I'm a little early. I got done with my rounds faster than I thought." I tried not to look to hard at the cute blonde sitting in the chair in front of Bianca's desk but it was hard not to. She looked to be around 18 or 19. Who was she and why was she sitting there flirting with the woman I loved? No, I was not happy with this at all._

"_Where are my manners, I'm sorry. Maggie, this is my new intern, Spencer Carlin. She was the winner of the Cambias Young Marketers Fellowship. Spencer, this is my gr…uh, friend, Dr. Maggie Stone."_

_Maybe it was because Bianca had been so use to introducing me as her girlfriend for so long and it's been forever since she's had to introduce me to anyone but I didn't want to read to much into her almost slip up. Spencer stood up, giving me a friendly smile and holding out her hand. She had noticed Bianca's almost use of girlfriend as to my former role in her life, she didn't seem to acknowledge it. _

"_I'm still a resident, so not a full fledge doctor." I smiled as I quickly shook the younger girl's hand, not wanting to be rude. _

"_It's nice to meet you. It's so nice to have fellow Americans around; it makes it feel a little more like home." When she smiled she seemed even younger. I tried to rationalize with myself that she was way too young for Bianca but then that little voice in my head reminded me that even though Bianca might run a multi-billion dollar corporation and was a mother, she was still relatively young at 22._

"_All the employees here at Cambias are bilingual, Spencer, it makes it easier. I remember when I first started here how nervous I was. I was practicing my French all day, every day, so sure that I wouldn't understand a word of what anyone was saying to me when I got here. Remember, Maggie…" She had been so caught up in the memory that she almost slipped again, almost fell back into that easy pattern that had been us when we had first gotten to Paris. Shaking the faraway, wistful look in her eyes, Bianca turned back to Spencer with another of her classic million dollar smiles. "Anyway, Spencer, no need to worry about the language barrier here at Cambias and I'm sure by the end of the summer you'll be speaking French fluently."_

_I tried not look uncomfortable at how easily Bianca swept me away, brushed aside that memory of when things had been so much better between us. I slightly felt like I was intruding for the first time in months. I didn't like that feeling, I wanted to feel like Bianca still wanted me there. "If I could pick it up, you should have no problem, Spencer." I wanted to at least sound supportive._

_And like that, the slight tension that had fallen between Bianca and I was lifted, she started softly laughing. "Oh, God, Maggie's French was atrocious, for the first six months all she knew where medical terms. Have you ever heard anyone try to use medical terms when asking for the bathroom?" _

"_I wasn't that bad, I knew how to order dinner." I replied with mock hurt._

"_Yeah, because pizza is so hard to remember." She gently teased. Her eyes held mine, there was no pain or regret in them, just her laughter and tenderness._

_If I could keep a moment from the last 4 months and wrap it up to carry around with me, this would be the one. It almost most felt like things where back on track, that everything was going to be ok. That is until the moment came to an abrupt end due to Bianca's phone ringing. And then, just as soon as it had started it was over._

"_OK, Amelia, we'll be down in a couple minutes to pick her up on our way to lunch." Bianca hung up her, turning to me. "That was the day care, Miranda's just getting cleaned up from finger painting, so we can just grab her on our way down, if that's alright?"_

"_Sure, B, do you know where you want go for lunch?" I smiled at the thought of spending at least an hour with my two favorite girls._

"_Nothing fancy, that café around the corner should be good." _

"_I should be going, I'm sure Madeline has a ton of things for me to get started on already." Spencer stood to leave but before she could get two steps Bianca stopped her._

"_Maddy's at lunch already. Why don't you come with us? The café has the best food around here, better than the company cafeteria." I tried not to cringe as Bianca invited Spencer to join us for lunch, without even asking if I minded, not that I could tell her if I did. That would just raise to many questions we'd be avoiding lately._

"_Oh, I don't want to intrude on your time, you've been so nice already showing me around and everything." Spencer looked shyly down at the ground. I wasn't sure yet if it was an act or if she was really just like that._

"_Don't be silly, Spencer, it's fine, right, Maggie?" Oh, nice, now she remembers I'm here._

"_Yeah, it's fine, Spencer, I'm sure Miranda would love to meet you." What could I say, that I hated the idea of her being with us, it wasn't anything personal, I'm just very selfish of the time I get with Bianca and Miranda. Again, it's the little things._

"_Oh, I already met her. She's the cutest little girl I've ever seen." Her blue eyes got even brighter at the mention of Miranda as a huge smile took over her face._

_Wait, what? When did she meet Miranda? Why was Bianca already introducing her to Miranda, seriously what was going on here?_

"_I took her by the day care when I was showing her the building earlier. You know how I can't walk past it without stopping in to at least say hi." Bianca smiled sheepishly. Sometimes the way the girl can almost read my mind scares me. _

"_Yeah, I know." I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice that I felt for the fact that she seemed to be letting Spencer into her life so much easier than she was me. I know I have no right to be jealous, seeing as it's my fault we're in the emotional space we are with each other, but that still doesn't mean I'm not insanely, completely, jealous. _

_The rest of the afternoon went down hill from there, as I watched Bianca and Spencer get along famously. They and that cute, easy-going banter going on between them that once came so easy with Bianca and me. Miranda even seemed smitten with the blonde, chatting in that cute 3 year old way about this boy Blaine who ate the finger paints and had a bright yellow tongue as a result. _

_As much as I hated to admit it, Spencer really was genuinely nice and just so excited about being and Paris, along with having the opportunity to work at Cambias, for the summer. It reminded me of the enthusiasm Bianca and I had when we first got to Paris. If it wasn't for the fact she was unconsciously flirting with Bianca, I probably would have found myself wanting to be her friend but I saw how her cute, gee whiz charm was working Bianca over fast than one of those masseuses in the Red light District. I didn't want to be around for any happy endings. I glanced at my watch and made some lame excuse about needing to go check up on a patient and go the hell out of there. _

That had been a week ago and now they were going to dinner together. I couldn't stand it, I know Bianca has dated other people but it never got serious. I was annoyed but really in no position to say anything, also I knew it wouldn't go anywhere but something about the way Bianca and Spencer interact has got me feeling more than a little nervous and truth be told, panicked. This is the first time I actually thought Bianca might want to be with someone more than me.

It was with these troubling, jealous, thoughts that I stomped down the sidewalk with, not noticing the short girl with dark brown hair tinted with auburn. I didn't notice her until she literally ran into me. We both fell in an ungraceful heap on the sidewalk, her practically straddling me.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry." She said as she tried to get up off of me. If I hadn't been so caught up in Bianca I probably would have noticed at the time just how breathtakingly beautiful she was. As it was I just stood up and brushed myself off, not taking the time to really look at the girl who had just knocked me flat on my butt.

"I'm fine, it's okay. I'm okay." I said as I tried to brush her helpful hands away from me.

"No, it's not, you're bleeding, I'm so sorry." Her voice was slightly raspy but not in a truck driver kind of way but in a phone sex operator kind of way.

Well what I would assume one of those operators to sound like, not that I know from personal experience. Ok, there was that one time I picked up the phone in my room when I shared an apartment with Jamie and heard him on the phone talking to one of those women, at least that's what I assume from hearing only a brief, very brief, ok… 5 minutes of the conversation before I had to hung up because I might have gasped a little at the things she was saying to him.

"Oh, God, you must have hit your head pretty hard too. You look dazed." I shake myself out of the memory and finally look up at the worried girl. The first thing I notice is her mane of dark brown hair with natural auburn highlights, then her light brown eyes that are crinkled up in concern. If I wasn't so madly in love with Bianca, I would so be hitting on this girl. She looks like she might be a few years younger than me but the way she holds herself seems to be in a manner of someone much older. She's simply beautiful in a wild kind of way.

I realized I must look like a concussed person because I have yet to say anything else to her since she started talking again. "No, sorry, I was just dazed."

"But your elbow is bleeding." She points a well manicured finger at my elbow. I bring my right hand down and feel the warm sticky wetness on my left elbow. She opens her small Prada purse and pulls out a napkin. I gratefully take it from her. As I'm unfolding it I notice a phone number written on it. Some guy, Antonio has written down his number for her.

"Um, you might not want to me to get blood all over this, it has a number on it." I tried to hand it back but she just waved a dismissive hand towards me.

"Nah, I only took it to be polite after I let him buy me drinks all night, trust me, he's not my type." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she said that.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of this girl in front of me. "Um, ok, thanks." I held the napkin up to my elbow, not sure really what else there was to say.

"No problem, it's my fault you're hurt. Let me make it up to you. How about we go grab a drink, if you're not busy?" She looked at me hopefully, but the last thing I think I needed was to get a drink, not with the mood I was in. I'd probably end up singing along to Patsy Cline on some old jukebox in some hole in the wall bar while hugging a pint of beer to my chest, tears streaming down my eyes. Not that that's ever really happened, much.

"Oh, come on, please? You're like the first American I've ran into since I've been here. It'd be really great to be able to have a conversation that didn't mainly consist of hand gestures and my horribly broken French." Oh no, she's giving me puppy dog eyes and I do feel a little bad for her, being alone in foreign country, I can relate.

"Ok, fine one drink but do I at least get to know the name of my assailant?" I'm not sure why I gave into her, maybe it was because I could relate to her so well. Maybe it was because I was just as lonely as she seemed, maybe it was because I recognized a bit of myself in her, regardless I had already told her I would go get a drink so there wasn't any backing out, besides what harm could one drink do.

"It wasn't on purpose." She playfully pouts, though I can see her smiling. "And I'm Ashley, Ashley Davies."

"Nice to meet you, Ashley, Ashley Davies. I'm Maggie Stone." We shake hands as people walk around us on the busy sidewalk.

"Likewise, now let's go get that drink. Um, you're gonna have to pick the place, I don't really know my way around here." She smiles.

"Ah, you're in luck, I happen to know this cute little dive bar around the corner that has the best jukebox, mostly all American music, half of it oldies. Do you like Patsy Cline?"


	3. Every Inch we Get, We Need a Mile More

**June 12****th****, 2008 – 8:13pm Paris, France**

"No, no, no. I completely got shafted the worst. My ex went from me to this girl with the worst bangs, EVER! She was like a cheap knock off of me. The worst part? She went back to her after we broke up, twice!" Ashley slammed another shot of Patron, banging the glass on the wooden bar to emphasize her outrage. I've lost count of how many shots we'd had at this point.

The one drink has definitely turned into quite a few. At first we just talked about the basics, why we were in Paris, where we were from originally, typical getting to know you type things. The only thing was, I was pretty sure as much as I was holding back, so was she. Our night had been filled with half truths and unspoken reasons. There was a lot more to why she was in Paris that she wasn't telling me. To the average person, they wouldn't have noticed the slight look in her eyes when she was talking, trying to pick her words carefully. No, no one else would have noticed, because I have to give her credit it took me a few drinks to pick up on it. No one else would have been any wiser unless they themselves were as well versed themselves at the same tactic and I had basically wrote the book on evasive answers. Just telling enough to satisfy the person asking, but never reveling anything.

"I have so got you beat. My ex rebounded with a male to female pre-op transgendered linebacker with the fashion sense of Bea Arthur named Zarf." I knocked back my shot and set it down, looking into her hazy brown eyes. I saw the shock, followed by sudden recognition.

"Yeah, you win… Oh my God! ZARF, as in now goes by Zoë, Zarf?" Her face looks like I just told her a monkey flew past the window playing a banjo.

"Um, yeah, Zoë, Zarf…" I signal for the bartender to pour us another couple shots, I need a few more if I'm going to talk about the whole Zoë mess.

"She hit on me once." I swear my jaw hit the bar as she casual let that little bomb drop.

As Ashley laughed at my dumbfounded expression, I noticed how her nose crinkled when she was laughing, it was kind of cute. Bianca's would do the same thing when she laughed really hard; on her it was downright sexy as hell.

"Yeah, I was at this thing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My sister and I were donating a few of our dad's things, one of his old guitars, a notebook he used for his second album, you know just a few things for this exhibit they were doing on him. For some reason, Zoë had made the guest list, though I have no idea how that happened, she's so far from Rock and Roll she makes Clay Aiken look hardcore. I was getting a drink when she comes towering over me and asks me if she could buy me a drink. She was at least a foot taller than me." Ashley paused in her story to gulp down another shot.

My head was spinning trying to figure out who Ashley really was, what she was doing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and just who the hell was her father. I decided the only smart thing to do was drink down one of my shots and wait for her to continue, maybe answering some of my questions. There was a faint idea of a thought in the back of my head but the tequila had quieted all deep coherent thoughts a few shots ago.

"So, of course I smirk at her because, hello, it's an open bar! I mean, God, how lame could she get? Not to mention, she was kinda creeping me out the way she was hovering over me. She laughed, like she was joking around, but I knew she wasn't. Then she grabs my hand, totally spilling some of my drink on it and tells me I have one of the more amazing auras she's ever seen. Can you believe that shit?! Who says that? Who does that?" At this point I couldn't hold in my laughter any more, especially at the outraged look on Ashley's face.

"Yeah, easy for you to laugh, you didn't have some new age giant hovering over you, spilling your drink all over the front of your Dior dress. I tried to gracefully pull away from her but she followed me around all night like a freaking Saint Bernard. Talking about how I need to meditate and cleanse my soul, that my aura was all over the place, blah blah blah. Like I seriously gave a shit. It wasn't until I started making out with some random chick, who turned out to be Lindsay Lohan that she finally got the hint and left me alone. Yes, Maggie, it was bad enough to drive me to making out with Lindsay Lohan!" Ashley has the most incredulous look on her face, like she's never been so insulted in her life, which when you think about it, making out with the rehab drop out queen is pretty humiliating.

"I can see where that would suck." I stifled back a few more giggles as we raise our glasses and drop back yet another shot. I was starting to feel the room spin a bit, maybe it was time to slow down. "I know what you mean though, she was so annoying, acting like she knew so much more than anyone else but really, she was pretty clueless. Thank God, Binks and she didn't last long. After Binks came back to Paris, I think they saw each other once more, when Zoë had come here to promote her new album. We've never talked about it specifically but I could tell Binks just wasn't feeling it, that Zoë had just been a way to avoid dealing with what had happened to us." I tried to hide the melancholy in my voice, but it was hard with all the alcohol coursing through my blood stream.

Ashley laid a comforting hand on my shoulder as she look at me with concerned filled eyes. "Wow, you're still in love with her aren't you?"

"I always have been and I always will be, she's my everything." I tried to keep the tears back as all the thoughts of everything I've missed out on with Bianca because my stupid insecurities and self doubts lead me to make the worst mistake of my life.

"Oh, hey, Mags, come on, don't cry." She awkwardly patted me on my shoulder, I don't think comfort is one of Ashley Davies strong suites.

I gave her a weak smile, she looked almost as distressed as I felt. "I'm ok, Ash, really. It's my own stupid fault we're not together anymore. I'm the one the screwed up. I…I cheated on her."

"Whoa, that's huge but everyone's entitled to mistakes. She can't stay mad at you forever." I know she was trying but nothing was going to make this guilt go away that I carried around everyday.

"You obviously don't know the Kanes." I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit because I knew if we continued down this path it was a matter of minutes before Patsy and tears in my beer where to follow.

"Not personally, but I do know what it's like to completely screw up with the one you love, the one you're completely in love with." Now it was her turn to look forlornly down at the wood grain on the bar.

"Your ex…." I didn't want to pry but it finally felt like we were dropping the act and not carefully choosing our words for the first time all night.

"Yeah, I really screwed up. I wasn't there for her when she needed me, I mean really not there, as in left the country not there. When I got back, she broke up with me, rightfully so, I was such a fucking tool. And instead of trying to show her how much I loved her, I ran back into the more than willing and waiting arms of my ex-boyfriend. She started dating that wannabe but then we started talking again and I realized that it was time to get my head out of my ass and really be there for her. I dumped the meathead, because really it was just a comfort thing for me, nothing real. We ended up back together and things were great for months until I started talking to my ex again." She shakes her head, the bitterness clear on her face. I just handed her another shot of patron, she looks like she could use it. With a grateful nod, she tips back her head and it's gone, the glass connecting loudly on the bar.

"Ok before you get the wrong idea, Aiden, my ex, was more like my best friend than a boyfriend. We had our time but it was nothing compared to what I felt for her. Anyways, I missed him as a friend, nothing more. We started hanging out again, though knowing how well that would go over, I failed to mention it to her. She busted me out one afternoon at my place when she stopped by and he was there. I didn't even get a chance to explain anything before she started screaming at me about how she knew she couldn't trust me, how I'd never change. I made matters worse by trying to say he was there to see my sister, Kyla, but it was a little harder to explain to her why we were hanging out in my hot tub." She raised one eyebrow as she downed another shot. I couldn't help thinking this girl must have the tolerance of an elephant, she seemed barely buzzed.

"I'm sure that excuse didn't really work too well." I gave her an understanding look, I was all to familiar with misunderstanding and the way they tend to ruin a good thing.

"I might have been able to talk my way out of that except for the fact that she had come over because she was holding a tabloid with a picture of Aiden and I kissing at some club the week before."

"Oh, ouch, Ash." There wasn't anything I could say to that, she'd been caught red handed, same as me. I think I had found a whole new level of understanding with her. I couldn't judge her for her mistakes because I'd made the same ones.

"It was a huge mistake, I was drunk, Aiden was drunk and it wasn't even a real kiss. He gave me a peck on the lips in congratulations because I told him I had just gotten an offer from a record company. It was completely innocent but those blood sucking reports are good at spinning things. Of course finding Aiden in my hot tub, in a speedo, didn't do anything to help my case with her. Next thing I know, she's storming out of my loft and not returning my calls for weeks. I sort of lost it, when I realized she wasn't going to talk to me I lost myself in drinking and partying all the time. I just wanted to not feel. About two months after we broke up I heard from my sister that she was dating that girl with the hideous bangs, again. That just pushed me even more, so I started going out every night of the week, making sure I didn't have a moment to even think about her, but of course, that's all I thought about. After losing my recording contract and realizing I was heading towards being a bigger joke than even Lohan, I decided I had to get my shit together. So here I am, getting my shit together, trying to become the person she always knew I could be." Ashley shrugged, almost like pouring her heart out to almost a complete stranger was no big deal, but I knew it was because I knew how hard it would have been for me. In that moment I actually respected this crazy girl next to me.

"Do you know if she's still with that girl?" It was nice to get caught up in someone else's drama than my own for once.

"My sister told me they broke up a few weeks after they got back together. That was two months ago. I haven't talked to her in almost four months." Ashley seemed stunned by the realization of the amount of time it had been since she'd last talked to her ex. I guess not everyone counted the minutes like I did. Not everyone is a weirdo, that little voice in my head piped up, I quickly squashed it down with another shot.

"I'm really sorry, Ashley. I hope you work things out with her and you find whatever it is you're looking for here in Paris."

"Actually, Maggie, I already have. I kind of have a confession to make." Her eyes turned serious as she looked right into mine. I swallowed a lump that was forming in my throat while trying to ignore the tightening in my stomach. I don't think I want to hear this, in fact, I'm pretty sure the next words out of her mouth are not going to be ones I'm going to like, at all.


	4. You're The Loud Sound of Fun

**June 13th, 2008 – 10:33pm Paris, France**

I had just gotten off my shift at the hospital and all I wanted was bed. I hadn't gotten much sleep after hanging out with Ashley until the wee hours of the morning the night before. I had just enough time to catch two hours of sleep before I had to be back at the hospital. I use to think it was just a myth, the lack of sleep residents get, I thought that just getting through med school was going to be the hardest part, I thought wrong. Being a resident was by far the hardest because it was no longer just theories in a book, it was real, it was actual. People's lives hung in the balance of my hands. I might not be able to save my own life but I would do anything and everything to save those who I could.

Ashley's words from the night before still rung loudly in my head, rattling around like loose change you forget to take out of your pocket before doing laundry, just bouncing around in the dryer. I still couldn't believe that the Spencer that was going out for dinners with MY Bianca was her Spencer, her one that got away, her reason for being in Paris. Again, I can relate, I dropped everything to follow the one I loved to Paris a few years ago. I only hope it ends up better for her than it has for me.

There's something about that crazy, messed up kid I can understand to all too easily. Looking at her is like holding a mirror up to myself only a few years ago. I might not have gone out and gotten wasted at every opportunity but the emotions, the recklessness, the running scared, the self sabotage, these were all things I was only too familiar with. Despite all that I still wasn't sure how I could help her, or even if I should. I've seen first hand how getting involved in others lives can backfire with the most disastrous of results. Yeah, living in Pine Valley had given me a front row seat to see how incredibly bad that could and would turn out.

Maybe I could just wait for this Spencer thing to blow over on its own. She's only here for the summer, besides, I know Bianca loves me, we're just going through a very tough patch right now. Which is completely understandable considering I did break her trust in the worst way but things had been getting better the last few months. I bet she only likes Spencer as a friend. Yeah, I'm sure that's it, she just wants another American friend and Spencer does remind me of Bianca a little. I'm sure they're just going to become the best of friends and that's all. Bianca wouldn't pursue something with the blonde, especially considering Spencer is working for her, that would just be inappropriate and wrong. Bianca isn't like that, I'm sure I've just blown this up to be way more than it is. Just because she's talking to Spencer instead of me, just because she's taking Spencer out to dinner instead of me, it's ok. She needs more friends than those stuffy old people she's surrounded with. She needs more friends around her age. She really hasn't had many here in Paris considering she's always working or with Miranda, doesn't leave much time to meet younger people when she's deeply engulfed in a much older world.

Hitching my backpack higher up on my shoulder, I dug out my keys at the door to my building. Mrs. Beauchamp was in the lobby, playing a game of chess by herself. Every once in a while, when I had the time, I would join her. She had a great sense of humor, even if she wasn't always sure about what year it was, or even who I was half the time. She was a harmless little old lady that reminded me of a slightly senile Myrtle from back in Pine Valley. I waved hello to her and hurried up the stairs to my apartment. Had I known what was waiting for me, I might have slowed down or even went somewhere else, but that's the beauty of life, you never know those life defining moments until they're thrusted upon you and you're already in the middle of them.

I rounded the corner and almost ran right into a very pissed off, drunk Ashley. She was pacing up and down the hallway in front of my door, well more like weaving, with a deep scowl on her face.

"Well, I hope you're happy now!" She stopped in front of me, pointing a shaking, accusing finger in my face. I was in no mood to deal with this, I had just worked 16 straight hours at the hospital, hung over. It wasn't one of my best days.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" I took a couple steps back as she tried to move closer to me on unsteady legs.

"What does it look like? I'm here to tell you this mess is all your fault!" She grabbed a flask out from her back pocket and took a long swallow. Internally I couldn't help but shudder, after all the alcohol we had consumed the night before just the thought of anymore tonight made me feel sick.

"Wait, what's my fault?" I had no idea what she was going on about, she wasn't being the most coherent of people at the present moment. I shook my head as I tried to get my door open, all I needed was for my nosey neighbor, Mr. Guile, to over hear us. He was constantly trying to find any bit of dirt on me that he could sell to the tabloids.

I finally got the door opened and none to gently pushed the drunken girl inside. She tripped over a pair of shoes I had laying on the floor but thankfully fell onto the couch, narrowly missing the corner of my glass coffee table. She glared down at the offending Chuck Taylors before turning the glare onto me.

"I'll tell you! If you hadn't messed up with your girl, she wouldn't be putting the moves on MY girl!" I tried hard not to laugh at the absurdity of her comment. Bianca wouldn't put the moves on Spencer, there was no way. Bianca wasn't like that, she wouldn't…

"Ash, calm down, I don't know what tabloid you're getting your information from but it's wrong. Bianca isn't putting the moves on Spencer, they're just friends." Even as I said it, I tried hard to ignore that little nagging voice in the back of my head that tried to remind me I had thought that same thing just a day ago but self denial can be such a nice thing.

"No, uh uh, I got my information from Kayla, my sister who got it from her good friend Spencer. They went out to dinner last night together and Bianca was all over her!" Ashley looked so angry but also completely beside herself. Though after hearing that I was pretty shaken up as well, but I still couldn't believe it.

"Wait, Spencer called your sister and told her Bianca was all over her and then your sister called and told you?" A part of me still didn't want to believe it, the fragile house of denial I had built up over the day was slowly starting to collapse around me. This couldn't be right. Bianca couldn't want to be with someone else. I thought we were working back towards something together.

"Well, not exactly, Aiden called and told me, he heard it from Glen, Spencer's brother, who heard it from Kyla who's dating Glen." She had gotten up and was pacing around my little living room while explaining to me the fifth grade telephone game way she had come to know this devastating tidbit of information.

"Wait, what? So you haven't heard it from the person who heard it from Spencer?" I was still clinging to the hope that nothing more than a friendly dinner had happened the night before between Bianca and Spencer.

"I've been calling Kyla all night but she's not answering her phone or calling me back! It's almost 2pm in LA. She should have called me back by now, unless she's avoiding me." With a sigh, Ashley plopped back down on my couch. She grabbed the flask again from her pocket, taking another long pull from it. I reach over, grabbing it, taking a large swallow myself. I felt the amber liquid burn its way down my throat and into my stomach.

I let the information turn over in my head, trying to figure out if it was true, what would, or even, could I do about it? The sad fact was there wasn't really anything I could do about it. Bianca knew what I wanted, she had all the power, and I could only wait to see if she would ever look at me with love in her deep brown eyes ever again. Usually those types of thoughts would make me sad and helpless feeling but something inside of me had finally had enough. For once I was actually pissed at the thought that Bianca had all the say, Bianca held all the cards and for the first time I felt like I was being strung along.

I glanced over at the forlorn brunette on my couch. She looked like someone had just kicked her puppy, then ran it over for good measure. I sat down next to her and placed a comforting arm around her slumped shoulders.

"It's probably not true. You know how things get blown up when it travels from one person to another." Broken brown eyes meet mine and I wonder if mine hold the same sadness in them at contemplating the woman I love being with someone else that isn't me.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter because something obviously happened between them regardless of what it really was." Ashley took another swig from her silver flask. "Actually, I really don't want to know what happened between them. Just the thought of anyone even breathing the same air as Spencer makes me sick to my stomach."

If thoughts of Bianca doing anything with Spencer didn't make my heart feel like it was dropping past my feet and through the floor, I might have rolled my eyes at the over dramatic statement from Ashley. As it was, I understood the sentiment too well.

"Aw, cheer up, emo kid, I'm sure this has been blown out of proportion. I know they had dinner plans last night but I honestly don't think Bianca would blur the line between work and…" She gives me a blistering glare, causing me to lose my train of thought. "And um, non-work?" I finish lamely. I'm trying to reassure her as much as myself but even my words feel flat to me as I say them.

"God, so not helping." The loudest sigh I have ever heard escapes her lips as she leans back into the couch, defeat written all over her face.

"Ash…"

"No, it's fine, I knew this was pointless. I knew that as soon as she walked out of my loft that day. I knew that someone else would see how amazing and wonderful and perfect she is. The only difference is, they would treat her way better than I ever did."

Ashley had a faraway look on face, for the first time since I'd seen her staggering in my hallway, she seemed sober. She pulled her legs up on the couch so that she was holding them to her chest, she looked so small and lost.

"I won't pretend to know all the answers or what happened between you two but I do know that if two people truly love each other, it's never completely over." I wasn't sure where I found this little nugget of hope to share within me but I know it came from a place deep inside. And to my surprise, I believed my words with all my heart. I wasn't ready to throw in the towel with Bianca, not yet. I might be feeling jerked around and frustrated at the lack of progress but there was also that part of my heart that knew that Bianca was just as confused as I was and that's the part I choose to hold onto and listen to.

"The first time Spencer and I broke up, it took us a few months to get back together because I had my head so far up my ass, I couldn't see straight. Even though I was being incredibly selfish during that time, I still knew that we belonged together. She was the only person I wanted, no one else mattered, they were just a way to pass the time until she took me back, you know? I remember when we got back together telling myself and her I would never take her or us for granted again. I promised both of us, that we would come before anything. And I kept that promise for a while, but after about 6 months I was getting caught up in making my own CD and living the life. " She shook her head sadly and continued.

"Spencer was still in high school, she had tests and classes, I had shows and events. It got to hard. I would get upset when she couldn't come with me, to hang on my arm, to keep me grounded because I felt so over my head, though I would never admit it or ask for any help. No, not me, not my style, I could handle anything, or so I told myself." She laughed bitterly.

"Ashley, everyone makes mistakes, it all about how you handle what happens after everything goes wrong. It's about learning from them. That's what this part of your life is all about, screwing up so that you can get it all out of the way while you can still blame it on being young and dumb."

"Yeah, than what's your excuse?" For the first time I see a ghost of a smirk on her face.

"Hey, I'm not that much older than you! I'm still young, just not quite as dumb..." I tease back not wanting to lose the lightness of the moment.

"Says the girl who is still waiting around…"

"There's not much else I can do, Ash, I've made my feelings more than clear to Bianca. I can't push it, I'm the one who screwed up, it has to be on her time frame." I feel the mood slipping, like quicksand it's getting heavy as it goes down.

"That's such crap, Mags! What if she's waiting for you to fight for her? What if she's just waiting for you to make the choice for her?" Her eyes flash as she suddenly sits up, turning on the couch to fully face me.

"No, Bianca definitely does not want me to make the decision for her." I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "She made it crystal clear that it has to be on her timeline, when she's ready." I replied, thinking back to my disastrous trip to Pine Valley when I naively thought I could win Bianca back with heartfelt words and shared memories. That didn't end quite as planned.

"So, you're just gonna, what? Wait forever? In the history of winning back lost loves, that's the lamest plan ever. No wonder it's taken over a year, jeez, Maggie. If you want to get Bianca back, you have to be willing to shake things up a little to show her how much she means to you. Just standing around quietly waiting for her isn't showing her anything except you can't be bothered to put forth any real effort to get her back." Ashley stood up and started pacing around my small living room once more.

"That's not it at all. Bianca told me she didn't want me to push her into this, I'm only trying to respect her wishes. I think by doing what she asked shows her how much I do care about her." I felt my cheeks burning from anger or maybe from embarrassment. The younger girl's words were a little to close for comfort. I didn't want to admit it but a part of me was screaming that maybe she was right, maybe I was being too passive about the way things were, or rather weren't, going with Bianca.

"Yeah, because that has been working so well for you. It's time to kick it up a few notches, Maggie, because it's not only you who could lose Bianca now but I could lose Spencer and I'll be damned if I let her go without a fight, without showing her how much I love her. How much I need her." Ashley ran a hand through her hair; agitation was coming off her in waves.

"You don't understand, Ashley, it's not that easy. For every step Bianca and I have taken forward we always seem to take three back and I don't want to completely lose her by pushing her." I stood up, facing the brunette, trying to control my simmering anger. I wasn't sure why I was so anger maybe because Ashley's words were a truth I didn't want to admit, that I had been basically wasting the last year by my inactivity, by allowing Bianca to make all the moves, but never pushing just a tiny bit, by never trying harder.

"Sorry to break the news to you, Maggie, but it's not like your 'plan'" My eyes practically bug out of my head as she uses air quotes. Seriously, who does that? "is actually working now is it? Because right now Spencer and Bianca are getting all cozy together while we sit around all broken hearted doing nothing to stop it."

"Yeah and what of it all backfires, like these things tend to do and then I completely lose her all together, Ashley, then I have nothing." Now it's my turn to pace the living room. I'm thoroughly irritated and her words are hitting me with the force of atom bombs.

"It's not like you have much to lose already. She holds you just close enough to give you hope but far enough so she doesn't have to go further. You're stuck in limbo and the sad thing is, you don't even seem to care. Why should she be in any rush to figure things out when she knows you're always just going to be there waiting."

I didn't know what to say to that. Really what was stopping me? I knew it wasn't the thought of losing Miranda in the process because even before she allowed me to see Miranda for the first time after they came back to Paris, we both agreed that no matter what was going on between us, Miranda would not be used as a pawn. I promised never to stop seeing Miranda if Bianca and I never went beyond being civil and she promised that she would never keep Miranda away from me as long as I continued to come to see the little girl. What was holding me back? Was it that I still felt like I needed to be punished for ruining what we had to begin with? I didn't know, the only thing I was sure of that the thought of not having Bianca in my life an any way scared me more than anything else, even if it was just as strained friends. But would that be enough forever? Again I wasn't sure, my thoughts just kept going around in circles while Ashley watched, her dark eyes taking in the internal struggle I was going through.

"You know what, while you sit here being all indecisive, waiting, I can't." She started towards the front door, a new sense of purpose in her steps I hadn't seen before.

"Wait, Ashley, what are you going to do?" Panic flashed in my mind as I thought about what this girl was capable of, in just the brief time I've known her, I can tell she is capable of a lot.

"I'm going to do what you don't have the guts to do. I'm going to get back what's mine." And with that she slammed the door behind her, leaving me standing in the middle of my living room, unsure of what to do, as usual. In that moment I don't know if I'm more in awe of her or envious because she is willing to put it all on the line, she is willing to go all in for the woman she loves even if it means she could lose her in the process because the pay off is worth so much more.


	5. How Could We Think

**June 14th, 2008 – 11:51am Paris, France**

I paced in front of the row of elevators, waiting for one to finally open and bring me up to the Executive Floor. The night before I sat long after Ashley had stormed out of my apartment, thinking about the words the younger brunette had thrown at me. I also wondered what she had gotten up to in her effort to show Spencer how much she loved her. Maybe she left her flowers on her doorstep? No, that seemed too common for one such as Ashley Davies. I hadn't seen any billboards proclaiming her love for the blonde for all of Paris to see on my way over to Cambias, though a small part of me half expected to see one.

The dinging of the elevator pulled me out of my thoughts as I absentmindedly swiped the keycard Bianca had given me months ago so that I could just come up at any time. Despite what Ashley thought, progress was being made, but maybe she was also right in that fact that it was very little, painstakingly slow, progress and to be honest it had seemed to have come to a halt in the past month but, hey, progress nonetheless. Both of us stuck in that strange in-between space, neither retreating but neither advancing either.

As I walked out of the elevator and onto Bianca's floor a feeling of dread started settling deep within me. I wasn't sure why but it felt like my body was fighting to keep from turning around and running out of the building. I tried to rationalize it as me being nervous because after all that sitting and thinking last night I had finally come to a decision. I was finally going to push Bianca a little, well if asking someone if they wanted to take an overnight trip to the countryside could be considered pushing. Which, I had no idea if Bianca would see it as pushing considering I had never initiated anything between us since she had come back to Paris. There was only one way to find out.

I took a deep breath as I walked over to Bianca's open office door. Her assistant was on the phone and smiled at me as I passed her desk. I heard her voice before I saw anything. Her soft, concerned laced voice that hit me like a hot poker to the heart but as I stuck my head in through the door way and saw the close, intimate way she was standing with Spencer, her hand resting on Spencer's bare upper arm, I felt like I was hit with an ice cold bucket of water.

"….I understand, I'm here if you need any help dealing with this." I couldn't pry my eyes away as Bianca's slender thumb gently caressed the bare skin underneath it.

"Thanks, I don't want this to ruin…" I didn't want to wait and hear the rest of that sentence. I don't think I could have handled whatever was going to come out of the blonde's mouth. What was there to be ruined? I couldn't even begin to think that there was a possibility of there being anything between them that could be ruined. I did the only thing I could do to stop the words coming from Spencer's mouth.

"Hey…" it came out a lot more like a croak then the confident, carefree greeting I had meant it to be. I quickly cleared my throat as I saw them both jump about a foot back from each other at the sound of my voice. Was it my imagination or did she just shoot Spencer a guilty look? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it… though as much as I liked living in the Land of Denial, even I knew that I was reaching a bit to try and ignore what I was seeing with my own eyes.

"Maggie, come in." Bianca flashed me a smile while taking a few steps back from Spencer, much to my internal delight. I tried to play it cool, like I hadn't just walked in on them having a moment. No one said anything as I walked further into the office and it was quickly starting to become awkward.

"Um, I'll just go put these files away... Hi, Maggie." Spencer gave me a small smile as she passed by. I smiled back, not trusting my voice not to crack at the moment.

"Thanks, Spence, come on back and meet me here when you're ready to leave, ok?" Even though she was trying to act casual, I could still hear the softness in her voice as she spoke.

"Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes." Spencer gave me brief look as she left the office. I noticed the tension and exhaustion on her face. Immediately, I wondered what Ashley had done the night before that seemed to have the usually upbeat blonde so apparently on edge.

Bianca's eyes never left Spencer's retreating form until she was out of sight. A slow burning panic was starting to form in the pit of my stomach. I could see it; I could see in Bianca's eyes how much she already cared for the college freshman. I just wasn't sure how much or in what way she cared.

"Hey, where's Miranda?" My voice shook her out of whatever far away thoughts the blonde had left her in. Her dark eyes turned and slowly focused on my face. I felt like I was intruding, a feeling I wasn't enjoying in the slightest.

"She's at home with the nanny, I'm only working a half day today." She walked over to her desk and started distractedly straightening the papers on it. I wasn't sure of she was purposely trying to avoid looking at me or if she was really that distracted. Neither prospect made me feel any better. There was a weird tension in the air, I wasn't sure what was causing it but it was different from any I had felt with her before, even those times we had talked right after I had cheated on her.

"Oh, I thought we were going to have lunch today and then I was going to take Miranda for the afternoon?" I asked, trying not to sound disappointed that my Munchkin wasn't there to go to lunch with us. Maybe it's for the best though, then I can ask her to go away with me this Saturday night without having to discuss it in front of the sensitive little girl, I thought. Ah, if only it had been that easy, right? But when had anything ever been easy between Bianca and I?

"Oh, I'm sorry, Maggie, I completely forgot…" Now she was looking at me and there was honest regret in her chocolate eyes, but I could still see the clear distraction there as well. She was only halfway invested in our conversation; the rest seemed to have walked out the door with Spencer.

"That's ok, the two of us can go to lunch, and then afterwards I'll go with you to the penthouse to pick up Miranda for the afternoon. Since you have the afternoon off, if you don't have any other plans, you could go to the park with the Munchkin and I." My tone was light, belying the pounding in my chest, already knowing that Bianca's plans were nowhere even close to what I was offering. A fact that quickly became apparent as she tried to dodge any eye contact with me and nervously started rearranging the papers on her desk yet again.

"That sounds great, Maggie. Any other time you know I would love to join you for lunch then an afternoon at the park with Miranda but I can't today… I made plans with Spencer. She's really upset about something that happened last night and I can't just leave her alone in a strange country where she barely knows anyone in the condition she's in." Bianca finally faced me, her eyes pleading me to understand. But I didn't, or couldn't at least.

I took a deep breath, pushed down the disappointment I felt and gave the tall brunette a shaky smile. "Oh, um, ok, maybe some other time. I'll just head over to the penthouse and pick up Miranda than."

"Um, actually, I'm really sorry, Maggie, I completely forgot you were taking Miranda today but I already told Spencer we could take her to the Zoo this afternoon…" She rushed out.

"What? You're not letting me take Miranda for the afternoon because your intern is having a bad day? Not to sound rude, Bianca, but how is that my problem?" I cringed as the words came out much more harshly than I had meant them.

"I'm sorry, Maggie, I really am. It's just Spencer's psycho ex showed up at the dorms last night and caused a bit of a scene. It really upset her and I completely forgot it was your afternoon with Miranda, so I just suggested we take Miranda to the Zoo to get her mind off of everything. She always seems to have such a good time being around Miranda and she was so upset this morning… I'll make it up to you, Maggie, I promise." She hadn't taken a breath the whole time she was rambling. Under different circumstances I would have found that cute, adorable even but these where not different circumstances. This was her telling me that not only could I not see Miranda this afternoon but the reason was because the little girl I thought of as a daughter was going to be spending quality time with Bianca and Spencer. Just what the hell had Ashley done last night?

"Why are ex's always psychos after you break up? I mean why do people always call them psycho ex's? Were they always psycho the whole time and it only comes to light when you break up or…" I mused out loud, not knowing exactly what to say, not wanting to give away the fact that I not only knew who's Spencer's ex was but had been spending a lot time with her the last few days.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Maggie?" Bianca gave me a strange look, like she was checking to see if I'd finally lost it and gone crazy.

"Oh, sorry, I was just wondering why unless you part as friends, people always call their ex's psycho. Did you ever…?"

"Oh, God, no, Maggie, I've never called you a psycho ex…" Bianca interjected, not allowing me to even finish the question. "It's hard enough to call you an…"

"Bianca, did you want me to get those figures before… Um, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt…" Spencer walked back into the office, stopping as she noticed she had interrupted the conversation Bianca and I were having. She looked sincerely sorry, which made me feel bad for not even caring for interrupting the one she had been having with Bianca earlier. I don't know how I missed it before but her normally bright blue eyes had a pained, shell shocked look. Seriously, I was going to have to find Ashley and find out what had happened the night before.

Despite the fact that I did feel bad for the younger girl, it didn't stop the overwhelming jealousy I was feeling towards her at the moment. Not only was she spending the afternoon with MY family, but I could feel she was taking away the small chance I had with Bianca to get back together. She was taking my place in Bianca's life, or the place I hoped to get back into. The twisting in my stomach was quickly turning into anger. I took a few deep breaths, pushing it back down, biting my tongue to keep from saying anything that would give my feelings away.

"It's ok, Spence, you weren't interrupting anything." Bianca gently said as she turned to face the blue eyed girl.

No, nothing, only Bianca saying how hard it was to call me an ex, just the first moment Bianca and I have really had since you came here… Yeah, nothing happening here. I tried to shake the dark thoughts from my head but found my temper was starting to rise again.

Spencer looked from me to Bianca and shuffled uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one foot to another. I know I my body language was anything but inviting but I was too upset to care. My arms were crossed against my chest as I just looked at her, all but cocking an eyebrow to show my disdain for the entire situation. She finally settled on sitting on the couch, engrossing herself in the files she had in her hands.

"Oh, Maggie, I was going to ask you, did you get a chance to copy those pictures of you took of Mimo last week when you took her to the water park?" I gotta hand it to the girl, she was good at defusing a potentially bad situation. At just the mention of Miranda my anger seemed to go down about 10 notches.

"Not yet, I have to get a new memory stick to put them on, all mine are full."

"I have a spare one around here somewhere." Bianca went to her desk and pulled a memory card out from one of the USB slots on her computer. "Here, I don't have anything important on this one. Can you just copy the pictures onto here and I'll get them developed?" She gave me one of her famous smiles that always melted my heart and made my knees a little shaky.

"Yeah, I can do that this afternoon, seeing as I don't have anything else to do now." I replied, an edge to my voice that I knew by the look in her eyes had hurt her.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll make this up to you, Maggie. I'll call you tomorrow and we can reschedule, maybe I'll take a day off that you have off from the hospital and the three of us can do something together." She said it low, so that Spencer on the other side of the room couldn't hear. My annoyance at that beat out the happiness I should have felt in Bianca offering to take a day off to spend with me.

"Yeah, we'll see. Have a great day." I grabbed the memory stick from her hand and started for the door, calling out a good bye to Spencer as I left. I was able to make it to the bank of elevators before my hands started shaking uncontrollably.

On the ride down all I can think about is how I'm being replaced, that I didn't fight enough for us and now Bianca is moving on. I didn't show her how much I cared and really wanted to be together with her. I was losing her. That finally thought sent a cold shock of realization down my spine. I wasn't ready to lose her, I wasn't ready to give up. No, I was finally ready to fight.

Grabbing my cellphone out of my pocket I scrolled through my contacts until I found the one I wanted. A groggy voice, raspy with sleep answered after two rings.

"Ello?"

"Ash, it's Maggie. I'm all in."


	6. They Say The Devil's in the Details

**Chapter 5: They Say the Devil's in the Detail**

_June 19th, 2008 – 9:14pm Paris, France_

"This is totally ridiculous, not to mention creepy…"

"You forgot illegal as well."

"I figured that was a given."

"Only if we get caught a few times... It's not like we're doing anything wrong by just standing here."

"Ash, we're hiding in an alley, behind a couple dumpsters, while trying to spy on our ex's across the street, who are having dinner together. It has to be illegal because it feels so wrong."

"No, see, that's where you're wrong because usually it's things that feel oh so good that end up being illegal. This? This is just…it's just, a couple friends hanging out in an alley that just so happens to be across the street from where the objects of their affections are currently dining together, a mere coincidence. Some might even call it fate." I couldn't help rolling my eyes as she smirked at me.

"Funny, I never thought fate would smell like rotting vegetables, or come accompanied by the sounds of two cats getting it on just a few dumpsters away."

"Than you just lack imagination and a sense of adventure. Now hush up, I don't want to get caught." Ashley pushed me back so that I was closer to the wall, the worst smelling dumpsters ever were shielding us, just on the off chance Bianca or Spencer decided to try and stare into a dark alley that was across from the patio where they were dining. I tried not to think about what kinds of fungus and what not could be growing on the brick she had just pressed me up against.

"But I thought we were just two friends hanging out in an alley, doing nothing to get caught at." I couldn't help my snarky reply, which wasn't lost on Ashley.

"Great, now you find the time to be witty. Seriously, hush, I'm trying to see what they're doing and I can't do that if you're constantly yapping in my ear like a Chihuahua." The shorter girl let out a sigh of frustration so I decided to try and be quiet, even though I felt stupid trying to spy on my ex. It seemed pointless, what were we going to learn that we didn't already know? Yeah, ever hear the one about asking questions you don't really want to know the answers to? Most the time you get the answer.

Ashley was standing on a few discarded boxes, trying to see over the dumpster without having to actually touch it. I give her credit, she was way closer to the opening than I would ever allow myself be. As Ashley was trying to get a better look at what was happening on the patio across the street I heard a shuffling noise coming closer to us from the other end of the alley.

Putting the noise out of my mind I heard Ashley curse under her breath.

"Dammit, look at how close they're sitting to each other. I don't even know why they're even bothering with their own menu's the way they keep showing each other stuff off them. They might as well just be sharing one."

I glanced around the side of the smelly metal box to get a better view. Sure enough, across the way Bianca was leaning towards Spencer, pointing something out on the menu while Spencer leaned just as close towards Bianca, laughing. I felt a jolt of jealousy shot through me as Spencer laid her hand on Bianca's shoulder, leaning even more impossibly closer to the taller girl.

"She did not just touch that giant! Ewww." Ashley exclaimed, almost losing her balance on the precariously stacked boxes.

"Hey! Watch it, that's MY giant you're talking about…Wait, Bianca's isn't a giant, she's just a little tall. Though compared to us, everyone's tall." She might have been acting like a class A bitch lately but I wasn't about to let anyone talk bad about Bianca. She was still my girl, even if she didn't seem very deserving of it in the last couple weeks.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and almost jumped ten feet high. An over powering stench of stale cigarette smoke and hard alcohol assaulted my already over offended sense of smell as I whipped around and stood face to face with one of the most ragged old men I have ever seen. I must have knocked into Ashley was I turned because I heard an "uummmmph" followed by a crashing noise behind me.

"I'm fine, don't worry." She huffed out when I didn't turn around to offer her any assistance. In my defense I figured she would have yelled out if she was really hurt and I didn't want to turn my back on the shifty looking guy I know had in front of me.

His grey hair was matted complete with a matching beard. It was astonishing his pants were still up as full of holes as they were, though the string he had tied around his waist might have been some help in that. He looked and smelled like he hadn't taken a shower since the last millennium and he was seriously invading my personal space. I took a step back, not really caring when I stepped on Ashley's foot, I just wanted to get as far from this guy as possible. His dark eye's were almost black in the low lighting of the alley and they kept shifting around, never settling on anything.

"Oww, shit, Maggie, watch what you're doing." Ashley bitched behind me. I noticed though she wasn't in any hurry to get out from behind me.

"Avez-vous de l'argent disponible?" The old man asked, I tried not to shudder at the combination of his breath and lack of more than two yellowed teeth.

"Um… Désolé, je n'ai pas d'argent" I replied, hoping he would wonder off.

"What did he say?" Ashley asked impatiently.

"He was asking if we had any money and I told him no." Maggie tried to look remorseful, hoping the homeless man would leave them alone.

"Pas même un Euro seul pour un homme pauvre en bas sur sa chance?" He asked instantly. I tried to swallow down the bile that his breath, mixed with the body odor and the stench from the dumpsters was causing to raise in the back of my throat. I didn't know how to get him to leave us alone, I had already told him we didn't have any money and yet he kept asking. I'm not one to think all homeless people are bad or something. A part of me can understand how life can beat you down, but something about this guy was creeping me out and judging from the grip Ashley had on my shoulder, her as well.

"Non nous ne faisons pas, maintenant s'il vous plaît nous partir seul." I answered in a more firm voice, hoping he would listen and just leave us alone.

"Maggie, what's going on?" Ashley asked, her annoyance was now at an all time high that homeless guy was still standing in front of us and cutting into our spying time.

"I don't know, Ashley, he won't leave. He keeps asking for money and I keep telling him we don't have any but he won't leave." I felt her push me to the side as she came up and got in the guys face. Her sudden reaction seemed to have startled him as much as me because he finally took a few steps back from the fire blazing in her brown eyes.

"Look, we don't have any money, so just bug off and leave us alone. We're busy here, if you can't tell. So you need to go find a bath or another bottle of cheap wine to drown yourself in because we have nothing for you. GO. NOW. SHOO." With those last words she started waving her arms at him in the universal sign of shooing. He held up his hands as he retreated from the angry brunette, leaving the alley and turning the corner out of our sight.

"Wow, I don't know why I didn't think of yelling at a shifty looking homeless person to get them to leave us alone. Oh, maybe it was because he looked a tad unstable and I didn't want to set him off or something…" I finally said when I was able to recover my jaw from the ground at her outburst.

"Whatever, Maggie, you're just too polite. God, I hope that doesn't happen to me when I get old." Ashley rolled her eyes, yet again at me. As she turned around to stake out the girls again an older lady in a little compact car parked right in front of the alley, effectively blocking our view. "Oh, for the love of God, is the universe trying to keep me from stalking Spencer?"

I stifled the laugh I felt as I watched Ashley try to stealthy stalk over to the car, making sure to stay out of sight from the patio across the way. It was more like a lurching with exaggerated steps as she stayed against the brick wall. The older woman didn't notice her until Ashley started banging on the window. From my stop still behind the dumpster I could clearly see the surprise on the woman's face as she got out of her car, facing Ashley.

"Hey, you can't park here…Um, no le parking in front of la alley…" Her arms were waving wildly, as if she could shoo the car away with the mere force of her arms. She looked back at me, her annoyance written all over her face. "Could you come over here and translate, please? This is so stupid!"

Against my better judgment I walked over to them, the older lady still puzzled over what was going on. After I brief exchange where I told her it was illegal to block and alley and her telling me she only had to run into a store to grab something quick and there as no other parking on the road I could tell Ashley had hit her patience quota. If the tapping of her foot wasn't a give away the repeated sighing and eye rolls certainly did.

"Maggie, why is she still parked here?" Ashley asked me while shooting daggers with her eyes at the woman.

"She said she just has to run into a shop and this is the only spot to park." I knew that wasn't the answer she wanted but I couldn't make the woman mover he car if she didn't want to.

"Ugh, where are those freakishly strong chicks from the Mentos commercial when you need them. Look, tell her the last thing she wants to do is leave her car here with me, tell her…tell her I'm volatile and compact cars make me even more so." As she said this she started hitting the window of the car. "Just move your stupid car, sheesh."

The woman was starting to look concerned watching Ashley quietly yelling at her in English to move her car and banging on the side of it. She huffed and puffed, looking at me, as if I could control the brunette. I apologized to her, telling her my friend hadn't had her meds that day. Maybe she would leave if she thought Ashley was unstable, though by the way she was acting, it wasn't a hard thing to believe.

"Ash, seriously, let's just go, this whole thing is a bad idea. We're gonna get caught if you keep making a scene." I tried to pull the younger girl away from the car as the woman started swearing at us and calling us crazy Americans, again not too far from the truth in light of recent events.

"No, she is parked illegally and blocking my…our…view of what's going on between out ex's and that is just not acceptable." She kicked the tire for emphasis. .

"Ok and we are illegally spying on them, so really, who's more wrong here? Some woman who just wants to pick up her dinner or us for stalking?" I could tell she was beyond reasoning as she gave me a withering glare.

"Fine, this obviously isn't working," she reached in her to pocket and pulled out a 100 Euro. "Tell her I'll give her this if she moves her car, now."

I turned to the woman who had stopped yelling and was now watching us with interest, or more likely the money that Ashley had just pull out.

"_Mon ami fou plaint est des impoli et besoins pour vous donner 100 euros si vous déplacez votre voiture maintenant, s'il vous plaît._" The woman held out her hand as Ashley gave her the money. Giving us both another glare, she got in her car and finally moved it from the front of the alley.

"God, some people can be so rude. I can't believe she had the nerve to glare at us after I just gave her a 100 Euro."

"Yeah, I can't imagine why she wouldn't be all smiles, especially after you were banging on her car and kicking the tire for the last 5 minutes."

"Ok, at this point, you're abusing sarcasm. Now move, if they look over here they'll see us." She again rolled her eyes at me while pushing me behind the smelly dumpster once more. As much as she rolled her eyes, it was a wonder they hadn't gotten stuck in that position already.

"Fine but I still think this is a total waste of time."

"Duly noted, now hush up."

It was quiet for a few minutes as we watched Bianca and Spencer eat their dinner. At the risk of sounding like a complete sap, Bianca really has a sexy way of drinking her wine. She swirls it around a couple times and just before the glass reaches her lips she licks them, then she take a sip, holding it on her tongue for a moment, while closing her eyes. She fully experiences the taste then as she sets her glass down she always licks her lips once more. I use to get hot just watching her drink wine. Now I was starting to feel uncomfortable because it wasn't me who was sitting across from her and her oh so sexy drinking habits, no, it was Spencer who seemed to be enjoying the show as much as I always did. That thought disturbed me more than I would like to admit. It was kind of hard to convince myself they were just friends when I was watching them laugh and flirt just on the other side of the street.

"Oh my God! She did not just do that!" I thought my neck was gonna snap as fast as I turned it to look over the dumpster as Ashley yelped next to me.

"Wait, what happened?" I asked, damning myself for drifting off and missing whatever had clearly set Ashley off. As I looked over it was hard to see what exactly was going on due to a large plant slightly obscuring the view but Bianca was leaning into Spencer. My stomach twisted in knots as it looked like they could be kissing.

"That's it. I'm going over there and putting an end to this right now. The only lips allowed to touch Spencer's are mine!" She growled.

"Wait," I grabbed her arm, keeping her from going anywhere for the moment, "if you go storming over there, they're gonna know we were spying on them and that's not going to be good for either of us. I'm sure Spencer would get just as pissed as Bianca and then no matter what we do, it's not going to work. We have to keep a level head over this." I had no idea how I was acting so calm when my stomach was churning. I just wanted to go home where I could curl up in a little ball and cry for a few days.

"At this point I don't care because at least it will get her lips off of the ones that belong to me!" Ashley stomped her foot like a petulant 5 year old.

"Listen to yourself, Spencer isn't your property and you're never going to get her back if you continue to treat her like she is." I still hadn't released my grip on her arm holding her in place behind our hiding spot.

"I don't… I mean, I don't mean to, it's just… Spencer really doesn't work well with anyone that isn't me and I don't really do so well with anyone else either. It's like, everyone thinks peanut butter and jelly go together the best, but that's pretty plain and typical. We're anything but plain and typical. We're like peanut butter and bananas. Maybe not the first thing everyone thinks goes together so perfectly, but it does, better than peanut butter and jelly because it is so perfect together but anything but plain and typical. It's different and amazing. She's my peanut butter and I'm her banana."

What do you say to something so utter sweet and yet completely crazy? The thing is, I understood entirely. She looked so lost and young standing there in the alley, pouting. For the first time I could see past the fact that Ashley loved Spencer, it was more than that, Ashley needed Spencer as much as I needed Bianca to just breath.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something. We'll get them both back but not now, not by making a scene. We have to be smart about it. We're gonna have to take a few pages out of the Kane handbook."

"The Kane Handbook? Erica Kane wrote a book?" Ashley asked distractedly as she looked back across the street, Bianca and Spencer had moved back away from each other and were eating dessert.

"Not exactly, but I lived in Pine Valley long enough to pick up a few things. Trust me, when it comes to get back the one you love after completely screwing up, she's the Zen Master."

"Fine, let's go. I don't really feel like seeing them have each other for dessert anyways." Ashley grimaced.

"Ok, Ashley, you really need to stop saying things like that if you want us to be able to think rationally."

"Well maybe I could if your woman would stop trying to rob the cradle of love." I swear she could set the world record for the number of eye rolls in a single day.

"Ok, we're seriously not that much older than you and Spencer. You act as if we're ready to start collecting our Social Security and Pensions."

"If you're old enough to get served in the States without a fake ID, you're old. Sorry, that's just the way the world works."

"You're only 2 years away."

"Yeah well by then, I'll still be younger than you."

"You're impossible sometimes."

Ashley smirked as we walked out of the back of the alley, "I bet you say that to all the girls."

"No just the impossible ones." I pushed her with my shoulder causing her to knock inot the brick wall next to her.

"Oh, and you're violent. Bianca's getting a real winner." She teased as I caught myself rolling my eyes at her. Oh my God, it was contagious.

"Because Spencer ending up with an impossibly possessive psycho is so much better?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Sometimes love just makes you a little crazy."

"They you must really really be in love." I stated as I opened the door to my building. "Now come on, we have some plotting to do."

"Aww, you really know how to sweet talk a girl." She laughed as we went up to my apartment. We had a long night ahead of us if we wanted to get a plan in place before I saw Bianca again in a couple days. It was time to take off the glovers and stop being so nice and passive about everything. It was time to show Bianca I still had that spitfire hellion inside that she had fallen for the first time years ago.

_Translation: My crazy friend is sorry for being rude and wants to give you 100 euros if you move your car right now, please._


	7. Talkin' Leads to Touchin'

**Chapter 6: And the Talkin' Leads to Touchin'**

_**June 22nd, 2008 – 8:27am Paris, France**_

The pounding on my door wouldn't stop, no matter how much I ignored it or put my pillow over my head to block it out. Whoever was banging down my door better be dying. I mean seriously, I had only gotten to sleep maybe two hours before after pulling an all-nighter at the hospital. With a huge groan of protest I finally dragged myself out of my warm, cozy bed when it became apparent whoever it was wasn't leaving after 15 minutes of constant banging.

I yanked the door open, causing the person on the other side to stumble into me, knocking me back a few steps. Imagine my non-surprise at seeing a very disheveled and upset Ashley. Pushing her off me, I gave her a glare that would have made any sane person think twice about coming into my apartment. I think it's already been established Ashley isn't sane.

"Have you seen this, Maggie? This is everything I've been afraid of!" Ashley stormed into my apartment, waving around a newspaper. "Ugh, this is like, the absolute worst thing ever!" She continued to wave the paper while pacing around my small living room.

"Huh? Ashley, slow down, what are you talking about?" I was still foggy with sleep; the cobwebs were slowly clearing from my head but not enough to be able to deal with a worked up Ashley at 8:30 in the morning after only two hours of sleep.

"God! This, today's paper! Are you even listening to me?" Ashley scowled at me as if I was purposely not following her crazy train of thought. For all I knew she could have been worked up over the lack of Family Circus in the comics section. She had called me yesterday before I went into work freaking out about the fact that the DiVinci Code wasn't real, that it was a work of fiction. She found this out after she had taken the tour. It had taken me almost the whole bus ride to the hospital to calm her down and convince her that she couldn't have the tour guide arrested for not giving her back her money, even if it was based on false pretenses in her opinion. That was the thing I was learning about Ashley, you never knew what to expect from her.

"Ashley, calm down. I worked all night and I've only had about two hours of sleep, so you're going to have to tell me what you're going on about because it's way too early for me to decipher your strange ramblings." I stifled a yawn as I turn the coffee pot on in the kitchen. It was going to be a while before I was able to get back to sleep knowing Ashley.

"Just look at this, Maggie!" Ashley finally pushed the paper towards me, turning around with a dramatic sigh as I grabbed it to see what all the fuss was about. I felt as if someone had punched me in the stomach as all the air left my lungs and I blindly groped for the stool behind me to sit down. There on the front page of one of France's biggest tabloids was a picture of Bianca and Spencer. They were in the backseat of one of the Cambias cars. Bianca had her arms around Spencer who was leaning back, sideways on the seat, Bianca's face just inches away from Spencer's. They looked two seconds away from a heavy make out session.

As bad as that one was, it was the smaller picture in the lower corner that hurt even more. Bianca was sitting on a balcony, with Spencer's head in her lap. Bianca was running her fingers through Spencer's hair while looking down at her. They looked so intimate and comfortable with each other in the second picture. It was worse than seeing them kissing because that could be explained away as possibly a drunken mistake but how could I rationalize the affection the second picture clearly showed? I couldn't. They say a picture was worth a thousand words but this one was more like a thousand daggers to my heart.

I couldn't stop staring at the pictures then a sudden realization hit me, they were both wearing the same outfits from the night Ashley and I had tried to play secret agents. This all must have happened after we left. My head was spinning trying to comprehend what I was seeing, that it was really real.

"Can you believe this! Maggie, this is bad, what are we going to do?" Ashley's pacing wasn't helping my already spinning head. She kept throwing her arms up as she mumbled something about Spencer not being allowed to go out unescorted anymore…

"Alright, let's just calm down and think about this. It's not like it's a sex tape or something. This could be perfectly innocent." I lamely tried to rationalize it all away. Denial isn't just a river.

"Yeah, you're right, this is so not what it seems. That isn't your cradle robbing ex inches away from Spencer's lips in the back of a limo! And that isn't Spencer, obviously having a mental break down, laying her head in a lap that isn't attached to me! You're right, Maggie, it's nothing." Ashley glared at me, rolling her eyes, it was quite the sight and only she could pull both off at the same time without looking ridiculous. "Wake up, judging from those pictures, a sex tape isn't too far behind!"

"Ok, really that's just uncalled for. I'll talk to Bianca about it today before I pick up Miranda. You've been in the tabloids before, you know how they can twist any little thing into whatever they want." I absentmindedly poured myself a cup of coffee, ignoring the pounding headache that was building behind my eyes. This was going to be a very long day.

Ashley sat down on the couch with a huff. "You can't fake those kinds of pictures, Maggie." Tapping her foot on the carpet, she starts ticking off her thoughts on her fingers, "I can't believe this is happening. It was suppose to be so easy. I come to Paris, surprise Spencer, plead my undying love, she swoons, we stay at my hotel suite together for the summer while she does this internship thing and I mope around all day waiting for her to get back, probably at some café, those are good places to look all moody, then we spend every night together exploring Paris and each other, after that when summer ends, we go back home and live happily ever after or as close as we can. Maybe Spencer can pop out a few kids down the road… while I go on to be an international rock star."

I couldn't help the mirthless chuckle that escaped me. "Wow, you really have no clue about what Spencer wants at all do you?" I knew I was walking on thin ice bringing it up, but Ashley's rant just proved to me that you could love someone more than anything but still not know them.

"What are you talking about? I know exactly what Spencer wants… I know everything about her." Ashley yelped with indignation, a fierce stare fixed on me, daring me to disagree.

"Obviously you don't because she hardly swooned when you showed up and she's nowhere near forgiving you, let alone even talking to you. You talk about how much you love her and know her but all I ever hear you talk about is what you think Spencer should do, never about what Spencer wants." I would like to blame my bitchiness on the early morning, or the stress from seeing those pictures but the truth was, Ashley needed to hear this as much as I needed the kick in the ass she had given me over a week ago.

"You don't know anything, it's not like you've gotten any further with Bianca!" She stood up, running her hands through her hair, agitation written all over her face.

"We're not talking about me, we're talking about how you seem to disregard Spencer's feelings in all of this. Until you start thinking about what she wants and needs, not what you want, there's no way you're gonna get her back." I wasn't trying to her hurt, just open her eyes up. She was being selfish and the sad thing was, I don't think she realized it at all.

'No, we're not talking about anything!" she yelled as she started storming towards the door. I rolled my eyes, was I this dramatic when I was 20?

"Ash, wait. I'm sorry if it felt like I was attacking you. I'm just trying to get you to maybe see things how Spencer sees them." I jumped off my stool, grabbing her arm to stop her retreat.

"You don't even know Spencer, so how can you tell me anything about how she's feeling?" At least she stopped, even if she was still giving me a death glare.

"No, I don't know her really but I do know what it's like to be in a relationship with someone who loves you so much but they just don't seem to really know what you want, what you need and I know how hard it is to tell them that. It's so hard that you don't tell them because you don't want to hurt them because you love them just as much. The problem with that though is eventually a distance starts to build between you until it just seems like you both are so far apart you don't know how to even begin to bridge it." Her expression softens a little as she seems to be considering my words.

"Is this the part where I'm suppose to breakdown and tell you how right you are? How I'm just a selfish bitch who never took her girlfriends feelings into consideration?" Or not. Instead of anger clouding her dark eyes now, it's more mild amusement. "Look, I know I come off as not caring about what Spencer wants but that couldn't be further from the truth. Yeah, I'm far from perfect but I would do anything for that girl."

"I'm not saying you don't, Ash, God, even a blind person could see how much you love her but how do you show her? Instead of these huge gestures, why don't you just try talking to her. Ask her what she wants. Well, besides you, of course." I smile, lightening the heaviness in the air. The tension that had filled the room minutes before disappeared as she smirked at me.

"Of course that's a given." She stepped around me, away from the door and sat back down on the couch. I'm relieved that this didn't turn into a huge blow out between us. I've become oddly attached to this strange girl, she has a certain charm that's hard to ignore.

"I'm going to go take a shower and then if you want, we can go grab breakfast before I head over to Cambias to talk to Bianca."

"Ok, I'll just watch some TV." She stretched out on the couch, absently flipping through the channels.

Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and more awake I walked into my living room to find the brunette fast asleep on my couch. She looked so comfortable I didn't have the heart to wake her. Leaving her a quick note on the coffee table, I threw a blanket over her and headed to see Bianca, dreading that I was wrong about the innocence of the pictures in the tabloid.

As I rode the elevator up to Bianca's floor less than an hour after leaving Ashley asleep on my couch, I willed my nerves to calm down. I didn't want Bianca to think I was attacking her when I asked about the pictures, but at the same time I didn't want her to think I was ok with them either. Taking slow deep breaths I walked to Bianca's office, hoping I wouldn't run into Spencer. I wasn't upset with her but I wasn't in the mood to see her either. I didn't think I could look at her without seeing her head on Bianca's lap, a content look on her face. And that was the last thing I needed to be thinking about before seeing Bianca. As luck would have it, that wasn't going to be a problem, me picturing Spencer sharing a caring moment with Bianca, nope not at all. Because, as my luck would have it, I got to walk in on them sharing a much different moment.

"Bianca!" I gasped as the Styrofoam cup of coffee I was holding slipped from my grasp and spilled all over my shoes and the cream, plush carpet of Bianca's office. I didn't even notice it, too shocked from walking in on Bianca and Spencer engaging in a pretty heated lip lock of the more than friend's variety.

They both jumped back away from each other like they had just touched a hot stove, equally guilty looks on their faces.

"Maggie…" Bianca whispered in shock, her eyes wide open with disbelief.

"Oh, God, um, I…ah…I've gotta go…" Spencer looked down at the floor, making a beeline for the door. As she passed me a barely audible sorry could be heard from her.

"Spencer, wait…" Bianca called after her, clearly torn as to stay here and deal with me or follow the obviously upset blonde. I wasn't sure which one I wanted her to do either at that moment. Shock wasn't even close to what I was feeling. There was a numbness deep inside of me that was spreading through out my entire body. I still hadn't fully comprehended what I had just walked in on.

I watched Bianca internally battle with what to do. She still hadn't looked directly at me since the first time I had walked into her office. We stood there for a couple moments, neither saying anything. It wasn't an awkward silence but there was a nervous tension to in the air.

Finally, she broke the silence with a deep, sad sigh. "Maggie, what you just saw…"

I don't know what came over me but I knew I didn't want to hear any excuses or half assed apologies because she wouldn't be apologizing for the right thing. "No, don't, I don't want to hear it, Bianca." I practically growled at her, cutting off her words. "I came by to ask you about today's paper but obviously, I got my answer." I threw the paper at her. All the anger I had been holding in check coming out and I was helpless to stop it. I should have left, I should have just walked away and calmed down. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, I was never one to do what was best for me.

"Maggie, listen, that wasn't…" Bianca pleaded with me to listen but I was to far upset to give her that right than.

"No, you listen, Bianca, I have done everything for over a year now to show you that I've changed, that I've learned from my mistakes, that you and Miranda are the most important people in my life. I've done everything you've asked of me, I gave you space, I let you set the pace, I never pushed and for what? So you could keep me at arms length, never giving me a real chance again?" I was fuming, everything I had been pushing down inside of me now coming out in a volcanic explosion of words.

Bianca's eyes hardened at my words, the pleading look she had just moments ago gone, replaced with her own anger. "Yeah, Maggie, I should just give you another chance to break my heart all over again because the first time was so much fun."

"Don't give me that, Bianca, I made a mistake, a huge mistake but how long are you going to punish me over it? I screwed up and I can't take it back, all I can do is try and make it up to you, but that doesn't seem to be enough for you. I don't seem to be enough for you!" A part of me was screaming at me to calm down, to stop fighting with her but another part that I had buried for too long was much louder, wanting to get out everything I had been thinking for the past year and a half.

"No, that's where you have it all wrong. You're the one that proved that I apparently wasn't enough for you when you left me for someone else!" she shot back, even in my enraged state, I had to admit, that was a good one, it cut me right to the quick.

"Bianca, how could you say that? You were more than enough for me. My cheating had nothing to do with you not being enough." I cringed inwardly as my voice cracked, my resolve was slipping. I wanted to run over to her and kiss her, tell her that she was everything that I ever wanted or needed but I didn't want to just forgive her for the last year, for kissing Spencer, for leaving me waiting in the wings.

"No, than why, Maggie? Why did you feel the need to go to someone else if I was enough?" Bianca wrapped her arms around herself, as if she could protect herself from my answer.

"It's not just one thing, it was a bunch of things, my own insecurities, doubts about myself… I was losing myself and you weren't around like I needed you to be. I'm not saying it's your fault, but you were always gone, either at work or back in Pine Valley. I mean, God, Bianca, we were supposed to be building a life together but how could we when you were gone over half the time and even when you were there you were distracted." The truth just poured out, unfiltered, all the resentment I felt towards her for never choosing me over anyone else, all those holidays I had spent alone when we should have been spending them together, all those times I felt like more like a burden than a girlfriend.

"Oh, I'm sorry my sister was in a coma, Maggie, or that my mom needed me because her marriage was falling apart. I'm so sorry that my families problems where such an inconvenience to you." She sarcastically spit out. She crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow at me.

I blinked in surprise, who knew she could be such a hard ass? I could finally see the resemblance to Kendall, the psycho bitch years. And who knew her being such a bitch would be so…hot? "Don't even, Bianca, you know that wasn't what I meant. I wouldn't have minded so damn much if you would have at least talked to me about it, instead of deciding on your own and then informing me of your plans." I felt the anger growing even more, instead of subsiding.

"Pardon me for not wanting to lay even more on you when you already had enough to deal with. Yeah, Maggie, it must have been horrible for you to be with someone who didn't want to stress you out even more than you were with dealing with the Jonathan thing and starting Med school in a different country." Her brown eyes flashed in anger and bitterness.

"That's just it, Bianca, every since everything happened with Jonathan, you treated me with kid gloves, like you didn't want to say or do anything that might upset me. I felt pathetic after all of that… sometimes… I just felt like a pity case to you. I didn't feel like Maggie, your girlfriend, but Maggie, the victim and I hated it! I just wanted you to think of me as your partner, not your problem." I yelled at her, finally voicing the biggest resent I held against her.

"How could you even think that? I never thought that!" She yelled back at me just as loud. Somehow during the last few minutes we had moved closer and closer to each other until we were now standing a few inches apart.

"How couldn't I, with you trying to take care of everything, never letting me in on what was going on!" I shouted, I knew my face was red. I felt the heat in my face all the way to the tips of my ears. Hers was just as red, only difference was, I doubted I looked half as hot as she did when pissed.

"I only did it because I loved you so much!" Next thing I knew, Bianca's lips where pressed hard against mine. It had been so long that it took me a few heartbeats to respond. Everything inside me told me this was wrong but I didn't care. Bianca was kissing me like she hadn't in over a year. She pushed me up against bookcase; her lips never left mine, only deepening it, our tongues fought for dominance as the kiss went on as heated as our arguing moments ago.

I pulled back for some much needed air, my head hitting hard into the shelf behind me. She let out a moan of frustration, then continued to attack my neck, her hands were holding my hips, pinning me in place. I tangled my fingers in her chestnut locks, reveling in the silky feeling of them. Her body was pressed against mine. It only served to turn me on even more, with a groan I pulled her lips from assaulting my pulse point back to my already bruised lips.

Her hands moved form my hips to roam under the tank top I was wearing, sending shivers though my body. She pressed a well toned leg between mine, applying pressure right where I needed it. I had never wanted anyone as much as I had always wanted Bianca, especially right than. I grabbed her legs and wrapped them around my waist, lifting her up as I held firmly held her. I slowly began carrying her the couple feet over to the desk. She broke from our kiss to look questioningly at me. With a crooked grin, I crushed my lips back into hers. I didn't want to think about what we were doing because then I'd stop, I only wanted to feel Bianca's lips on mine, her skin against mine. I had been craving it for what seemed like forever.

When we gently bumped into the edge of her desk, I set her down, keeping one arm around her, with the other I brushed everything off of it that was in the way. Papers, files, pens, a stapler and other various office supplies crashed to the floor. She quirked an eyebrow at me, I simply smirked as I pushed her down on top of her now cleared desk. I was dizzy with the scent of Bianca, Chanel No. 5 and a hint of something that was uniquely Bianca. Her hands wasted no time in slipping off my shirt as straddled her. My bra was soon to follow.

I placed my weight on top of her, kissing, nipping, sucking at her pulse point, not caring if I left a mark. I let one hand slide under her skirt, her body responded to my touch with a sense of urgency that had never been between us before. There was nothing loving or gentle about what we were doing to each other. This was a release of over a year if pent up sexual frustration, the kind that's born out of not being able to be with the one you truly want. It was a little rough, a little angry and completely satisfying. Every moan only served to make me want even more, to make her moan even louder, I didn't care if the whole building knew what we were doing.

Both of our breathing was ragged as the final articles of clothing we were wearing fell to the floor. I didn't want to take the time to fully appreciate the sight below me, too afraid if we stopped for even a second to think, it would be over. Bianca intertwined one hand in my hair, pulling my head down to her neck. I slide one leg betweens hers, marveling at how perfect it was feeling her heat against my bare skin once again. We instantly started a frantic rhythm that had us moaning in anticipation and need. No matter how close I to got to her perfect milky skin, it wasn't close enough, I wanted to consume her, make her a part of me, leaving my touch burned into every pore of her body, erasing any others. She brought her knee up, ripping a moan out of me from deep within.

"Oh, Godddd…..B…I nee…need…" My words were coming out as frenzied moans, unable to voice a coherent thought. The rest of my words were swallowed as she fiercely kissed me, biting my bottom lip enough to make me wince in the most delicious of pains. I felt her nails dig hard into my back. She pressed her body even closer into mine as she rocked her hips hard against me. I moved my hand down her body, towards her wet center, knowing she was more than ready from the noises I was all too familiar with, even after over a year of not hearing them. Raking my nails over the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, I slid two fingers deep within her core.

"Fuuuuucccckkkkkk… more…" She ripped her lips away from mine and bit down hard on my shoulder. My eyes flew open; this was a new side of Bianca I hadn't experienced before. A more demanding, rougher side that we had never shared in our past love making. We'd had plenty of hot sex after getting over our initial shyness when we had been a couple but this was altogether something new, different; it'd never had this type of intensity before. She'd never seemed so…free…as she currently did.

It felt like an all too real dream, I had been aching for Bianca's touch for countless nights now and here we were, having the hottest sex we'd ever had on her desk. Her desk! I had tried many times while we were together to take advantage of the large antique mahogany desk, but she always shyly put me off. She had been too afraid we'd get caught, especially considering we weren't the quietest people. I was reveling in the sensation of being deep within her again, something just moths ago thought would never happen again. I was all to aware of her heightened state of arousal as she pushed harder against me, she was getting close. Her hands were clawing at my back while indecipherable words tumbled out of her mouth and against my sweat soaked neck.

I stopped my ministrations, earning a glare from those deep chocolate eyes as they looked up at me. Locking her gaze with mine, I started again at the same frantic pace she had set. I wanted to watch her as she fell over the edge. I needed her to look me in the eyes as I took her there.

"Ohhh….fuuuuucccckkkkkk…mmmmmm…." she loudly panted into my shoulder, her body arching up as she rode out wave after wave of what appeared to be a mind blowing orgasm. She bit down on my shoulder again, muffling the rest of her cries. A self satisfied smirk spread across my face as I watched her ride out the last of it.

It was quickly replaced by a look of surprise as Bianca quickly flipped me over onto my back none to gently. She had a look I had never seen before on her face, a look of dominance and pure control. She had never taken complete control before, always waiting to see what I wanted or how I responded. "I'm going to make you scream my name…" she growled as she began assaulting my body with her lips, tongue, hands... I immediately got even more impossibly turned on. I could only let my head fall back, hitting the desk, as I let her completely dominate me.


	8. I Find it Kind of Sad

**June 22nd, 2008 – 1:07pm Paris, France**

Bianca's hands, lips, and tongue where all over my body, assaulting it in the most delicious of ways; I had to grab onto the edge of the desk above my head to anchor myself, to keep from floating away. My skin was flush and glowed with a layer of sweat as Bianca took her time, making sure every inch of my body received her attention. The ache between my legs was screaming for release but she refused to give it to me as she ran her fingers up and down the insides of my over sensitive thighs while her tongue traced lazy patterns on my quivering stomach.

I jumped as she bit at the skin just below my bellybutton, her tongue quickly darting out to soothe the area, placing kisses on the sure to be red skin. I let out a deep moan of want, need, and frustration. I felt like I was ready to explode; this was the most turned on I had ever been. If she even so much as brushed against my core, I knew I'd be over the edge within seconds.

"Please…ohhh…please…." I didn't care if I was begging at this point; the anticipation was killing me and I needed release. More specifically, I needed Bianca to bring me there. I needed that more than I needed my pride.

She looked up, a sly smirk on her face as she slowly ran her up tongue up my stomach. I wanted to cry in frustration; she was moving in the completely _**wrong**_ direction. My body shivered as her bare breasts brushed along my heated flesh, her hard nipples leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.

Nipping at my exposed neck, her breasts crushed against mine, I thought I would pass out from the sensation overload I was experiencing. I never expected to find myself in this position again with Bianca, especially on her large, antique desk. But here I was, panting with a need that was reaching epic proportions, with the only woman I have ever loved completely, rocking her hips into me as she continued to suck, lick, kiss and nip at any and all exposed skin she could get her lips on.

"Tell me what you want…" she breathed heavily in my ear, "tell me I'm the only one you want…"

Her hands were running through my hair, tugging with each word. This was an entirely new experience and my brain wasn't sure it could even form words but some how, with a deep raspy voice, I was able to answer her, "Oh…Gooodd….I want you….I've only ever wanted you…"

The rest of my words were cut off as her lips crashed down on mine, kissing me roughly and deep. There was no duel for dominance with our tongues as she took complete control. She shifted so that her thigh was now pressed firmly into my wetness, my moan quickly swallowed by her eager mouth still on mine.

"Tell me I'm the only one who can make you feel like this," she demanded against my lips as her hips thrusted into my over sensitive center, sending my eyes rolling into the back of my head. My God, this woman was going to kill me, but I would die with a smile on my face.

"Only you…no…no one else could ever…just you…" I panted out, trying to form thoughts in my hazy mind, which was hard considering Bianca was still rolling her hips against my slick center, bringing me right to the edge, only to stop each time she knew I was close.

She raised her head, removing her divine tongue and lips from the area just below my ear; she knew her touch in that area drove me crazy. I opened my eyes to find her eyes as dark as obsidian, spiked through with desire. A shiver, that had nothing to do with my nakedness, ran though my body. Even through her bold actions and demands, I still saw a vulnerability in them, crying out for comfort. If this is what she needed to get it, I was more than willing to give it to her. I would do anything she asked of me.

"Tell me I'm the only one you've ever loved…" she quietly asked, a softness seeping through her hard façade for a brief moment. It was gone, just as quickly, as a smirk over took her face, the hardness returning to her voice. "Tell me I'm the only one who can _**fuck**_ you like this."

She punctuated her last statement with another rough thrust of her hips, causing my shock at hearing the harshness with which she spoke to disappear, as she quickened the slow rhythm of her sweetly rocking hips.

I forced myself to concentrate, knowing that she was purposely distracting me from her whispered plea. I looked deep into those eyes I loved, the eyes I pictured each night before I went to sleep and hoped all the love, adoration and longing I felt for her shined through my own and into hers. "You are the only one I have or ever will love," I said, breathlessly.

Her movements halted, and I watched as a myriad of emotions played deep within her eyes. She buried her head into the crook of my neck, biting down on the same spot she had earlier. I hissed with pain, knowing there would be an angry bruise there within hours.

Her hips began moving with such a frantic pace that it caused my head to bounce against the hard wood of her desk. She brought her thigh up, pressing it even harder, almost painfully, against my begging center.

"Tell me I'm the only one…tell me…." she murmured over and over against the raw skin of my neck as she pulled me tight against her.

I brought my hands up, gently grabbing handfuls of her silky brown locks, refusing to be as rough as her. "I love you. Only you," I gently repeated, kissing her just below her ear. I hoped my words would reach her, calm her, and settle her down.

She jerked her head up, the hardness of her look still in evidence but with a glint of something else I couldn't identify; it was entirely new.

With a growl that shook me to the core, Bianca reached over and pulled the telephone cord from the phone. My eyes must have been as wide as saucers, because I know my jaw fell open at the sight. My God, was she hot when she was like this, though I had to admit I was more than a little apprehensive as to what she planned on doing with it.

"I know how your hands like to wander, but you already had your turn, so let's just make sure you keep your hands to yourself," she smirked as she reached above me and started wrapping the cord around my wrists. I gulped as I felt her tie the cord, so that my hands were now bound above my head. Now _**this**_was something completely new. This was turning out to be an afternoon filled with firsts. As scared as I was, sweet Joseph and Mary was it turning me on more than anything we had ever had done before.

"B…" Her finger quickly silenced my words as she placed it against my lips.

"Shhh…you'll be screaming my name soon enough but right now I just want you to feel everything I do to you and remember every touch. How I set your body on fire. How I'm the only one that can make you feel this way," she purred into my ear.

How was it possible I could get even more turned on?

I nodded in silent understanding, my hips moving on their own to quench the ache that was building up to monumental proportions. She gave me a wink as she started running her tongue down my neck, stopping to take a taut nipple in her mouth, flicking the hardened nub with her tongue. I went to move my bound hands, I wanted to touch her but unfortunately it the phone cord was still attached to the wall on the other end and she had left me no slack with which to move.

My groan of frustration quickly turned to one of pleasure as she tugged on my erect nipple with her teeth, sending jolts of desire straight to my already over loaded center. Her nails were running down my sides as she moved to devote the same attention to my other breast.

"Oooohhh, please….I need you….please…." I writhed under her, beyond frustrated that I couldn't touch her, guide her to where I needed her the most. The only thing I was able to do was voice my wants; that, in itself, was proving to be a challenge as she was teasing me beyond the point of rational thought.

"Tell me. Tell me what you want," she demanded in a husky voice. Her tongue circled around the bellybutton ring I had gotten shortly after moving to Paris. She teased the silver ring like she had teased my nipples moments ago, tugging it with her teeth. I knew she wouldn't begin to the relieve the pressure building in me until I told her exactly what I wanted her to do. I was quickly figuring out the rules to this new game.

"I want…I want…." I gasped as she slide a finger along my slick folds, sending my head back against the desk with a resounding thud. "Oh…God…."

"Yeah…" she coaxed while running her tongue along the inside of my thighs. It was at that moment that I finally found the bad girl locked away for so long deep within Bianca Montgomery. And my God, I loved it!!

"I want you inside of me….I need you inside of me…" I breathed. My body was trembling with need, lust and anticipation. Bianca was making my body vibrate like the taut strings of a finely crafted violin.

"Oh…like this?" she coyly asked while sliding a single slender finger deep within me.

"Fuuuucckkkkk…" Once more my eyes rolled back as I pulled against the restraints holding my hands above my head. My hips started jerking forward, trying to take in more of her.

"Is that what you wanted?" she asked, keeping her finger still, the lack of movement was driving me insane. I looked down, seeing her looking expectantly up at me from between my legs, one eyebrow cocked, and a smirk firmly in place.

I groaned in utter frustration, my body quickly tiring of the games, needing release before I imploded. "More, please, Bianca, more…I can't handle anymore teasing…" I was in physical pain by this point with her so close yet so far from giving me what I needed.

"More what? More this?" she asked as a second digit joined the other deep within my soaked center.

I could only moan in response as she slowly started a rhythm; with the amount of teasing my body had been through, I knew it wouldn't be long before I exploded. Unfortunately, Bianca had other ideas. I felt the build up; I was so close when she stopped. Just… stopped.

"Was that it? Was that all you wanted?" I could have cried from frustration. This wasn't the Bianca I knew, this wasn't the same Bianca that had made love to me in our rooftop garden under the warm Parisian summer sun. No, this was a Bianca I hadn't encountered yet and knew that I played a large part in creating.

"God…just_**fuck**_ me already," I cried out in frustration. I tensed up in shock at my outburst. I had told myself I would play her game. I would allow her to set the rules and follow them but here I was, making demands.

I heard a seductive laugh, "well, why didn't you say so before?"

The question was purely rhetorical as a jolt of electricity from my center spread though out my entire body as her talented tongue circled my sensitive bundle of nerves, and her fingers starting their pace, thankfully, again.

"Fuuucckkkk….Bianca…oohhhh…right there….fuuuucckkk…." Incoherent words and phrases started flying out of my mouth as her fingers entered me repeatedly, harder and deeper than I had ever been touched by her before. Her tongue continued to tease my clit as she ran circles around it, sucking it, brushing it with her teeth, and then running her tongue up the length of my wet folds, only to return to teasing, coaxing the sensitive nub.

My hands strained against the cord that kept them firmly in place, adding to my heightened arousal. Unable to show her by my touch how much I was thoroughly enjoying this, I did it the only way she had left me, the way she wanted, by crying out her name, repeatedly, over and over again.

The build up was more than I had experienced before as I felt myself so close to falling over that edge. My body tensed as she sucked hard on my clit, curling her fingers buried deep within me at the same time.

I saw stars as wave after wave of the most intense orgasm ever hit me. I felt like I was going to black out from the force of it. She continued to push her fingers in and out of me, not stopping as tremors over took my small frame, building me up yet again.

A second explosion, more intense than the first one shook through me as she nipped at my hyper-sensitive clit. This time I know I blacked out for a few moments as I had never experienced anything even close to the two orgasms she had just brought me to.

I was covered in sweat, my hands were numb from the constant pulling on the restraints, my body was a shaking, puddle of mush and I had never been more satisfied in my life.

Bianca kissed her way back up my heated, quivering flesh, each touch sending more shivers through my body. I was still panting too heavily to be able to say all the things I wanted to say to her.

She slowly unwrapped the cord from around my wrists; I was too spent to even move them. She then leisurely moved back down so that her face was level with mine. I tried to make eye contact with her, to show her how much I loved her, but she moved to the side, her hot breath in my ear.

"Tell me how Cecelia never fucked you like that before," she whispered in my ear, a sharp edge to her voice. I felt the blood in my veins go cold.

I jerked my head back quickly to get a better look at her. Her eyes were hard, a simmering anger just below the surface. My head was still spinning from the explosions she had caused in me but her words had the effect of a knife twisting in my stomach.

My famous Stone temper was quickly rising as a cold harsh realization slapped me in the face. She had just used me; she took my love to prove some twisted point by throwing it back in my face. Was this her way of showing me what I had carelessly, recklessly thrown away over a year ago? I didn't need the best mind blowing sex of my life to remind me of that. I was reminded every time I had to drop Miranda off and go home to sleep by myself!

"Was that all this was to you? A way to prove some point?!" I asked incredulously.

"No, this was pure lust, on my part… and a mistake." Bianca picked her shirt up off the floor. I hadn't realized that she already had her bra on.

"How can you call, what we just shared, a mistake, Bianca?!" I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me, yet again. "I love you, God damn it!"

"Maggie, let's not make this into more than it was," she said as she quickly buttoned up her skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles with the same hand that had just been buried deep with in me only moments before. She continued to restore her flawless appearance, as if the simple act of looking like nothing had happened between us could erase the last hour. She refused to _**even**_ look at me.

I sat up slowly, the feeling in my limbs finally starting to return.

"And what exactly _**was**_ it, Bianca?" I challenged, not caring if I was raising my voice.

"I already told you, a mistake… a moment of weakness, nothing more," she coldly said. I had flashbacks of her mother, Erica Kane, using the same dismissive tone countless of times while trying to deny the reality of a situation.

Still managing to avoid looking me in the eye, she thrust my cloths at me, informing me that, "You're welcome to use my bathroom if you need to clean up; I have to get to a meeting."

I stared at the bunched up cloths in my hands. What she just did, took talent… and balls. I knew she possessed the former and I was beginning to wonder where she got the later.

Looking back up toward her, I said, my voice shaking as much with anger as it was with emotion, "It might have been a mistake to you but it wasn't to me. I meant everything I said."

No response; just cold silence.

I quickly got dressed in heated, jagged movements, making sure to do it all in front of her, even if she wasn't looking at me.

Her cold indifference toward me, after what we had just shared, hurt more than her comment regarding Cecelia. I simply could not get my head around it.

She was still looking at the floor as I made my way to the door.

I stopped, only inches from her. "Look at me, Bianca!" I demanded.

She refused. _Coward_, I thought.

Wanting her to know exactly how I felt, how deeply she hurt me, I spat out, "I never knew Saint Bianca could be such a cold hearted bitch. You're turning into your mother, but with one difference. After using me, she would have had the decency to look me in the eye as she tossed me aside."

I saw her flinch; if I didn't know her better than she knew herself, I would have missed it. It didn't matter. She made herself clear… crystal clear.

With those parting words I walked out of her office, slamming the door behind me.

Trying to put as much distance between her and myself, I stormed into the elevator, vowing to never let Bianca get to me like that again. I was finally done with all of this crap; all of her push-me pull-you games and her passive-aggressive bullshit. I truly did not care anymore… or at least I didn't want to.

Walking away from the building, I raked my mind trying to find something, anything that would help me put the events of the last few hours behind me. Then it hit me. Ashley!

If there was one thing my new friend was a master at, it was avoidance with copious amounts of mind numbing fun.


End file.
